Transparent metal network with low haze and high figure of merit as front and back electrodes in semitransparent ITO-free polymer solar cells

Christoph Hunger^a, Mukundan Thelakkat^a, Chetan R. Singh^a, Giridhar U. Kulkarni^b, Ritu Gupta^b, K.D.M. Rao^b

^aApplied Functional Polymers, University of Bayreuth, Universitystr-30, Bayreuth, 95440, Germany

^bChemistry & Physics of Materials Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560 064, India, India

International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics
Proceedings of International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics 2015 (HOPV15)

Roma, Italy, 2015 May 11th - 13th

Organizer: Filippo De Angelis

Poster, Mukundan Thelakkat, 043
Publication date: 5th February 2015

In the quest for ITO-free photovoltaics and for building integrated as well as automobile roof applications, novel transparent electrodes for both front and back electrodes is required. Here we report the fabrication and integration of submicron transparent Ag and Au metal network electrodes, which are invisible to the naked eye, into organic photovoltaic devices. We exploit the smart idea of using the spontaneous cracking of a polymer layer as template to prepare the metal network. The main challenge is to apply the cracked template approach on top of soluble organic layers and to lift off the template without damaging the photoactive layer. We demonstrate that Ag or Au back electrodes can be fabricated maintaining a transmittance of 80 % for the whole visible range. These electrodes exhibit ultralow haze of ~ 5 % and an excellent figure of merit value. Moreover, the ITO-free semitransparent polymer solar cell having Ag / Ag network electrodes exhibits 57 % transmittance above 650 nm (fig.1).
Schematics of cracked polymer templated fabrication of metal network electrodes, the photo of an ITO-free semitransparent solar cell along with the schematics of integration of the front and back electrodes
Rao, K. D. M.; Hunger,H.; Gupta, R; Kulkarni, G.U.; Thelakkat, M. A cracked polymer templated metal network as a transparent conducting electrode for ITO-free organic solar cells. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16(29), 15107 – 15110. Hunger,H.; Rao, K. D. M.; Gupta, R; Singh, C.R.; Kulkarni, G.U.; Thelakkat, M. Transparent metal network with low haze and high figure of merit as front and back electrodes in semitransparent ITO-free polymer solar cells. 2015, submitted to Energy Technology

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