High throughput testing platform for organic solar cells

Journal article

In this paper we present a high throughput testing setup for organic solar cells that is necessary for an efficient analysis of their behaviour. The setup comprises process parameter logging, automated measurement data acquisition and subsequent data management and analysis. Utilising this setup the reproducibitity of solar cells and the effect of production parameter variations has been tested with a set of 360 solar cells based on thepoly-3- hexylthiophene:1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-1-phenyl-(6,6)C₆₁ bulk heterojunction. Variations in power conversion efficiency between 1 and 3% were observed on varying production parameters hardly mentioned in literature. The conditions during the vacuum deposition of the aluminium cathode turned out to have a significant effect. The key solar cell parameter affecting the performance was the fill factor (FF).

As such the work exemplifies the necessity for a combined approach to analyse the complex behaviour of organic solar cells. The developed high throughput testing setup provides a basis for an efficient testing of production parameter variations and materials and additionally opens the door for statistical analysis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Authors: Riede, M; Sylvester-Hvid, K; Glatthaar, M; Keegan, N; Ziegler, T

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
• Journal: Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 561-576
• Publication date: 2008-11-01
• DOI: 10.1002/pip.836
• EISSN: 1099-159X
• ISSN: 1062-7995
• Language: English
• Keywords: Measurement automation; Comparative testing; Solar cell; Electronic laboratory notebook; Reproducibility; Organic solar cell; PCBM; P3HT