Proceedings of Materials for Sustainable Development Conference (MAT-SUS) (NFM22)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.nfm.2022.213
Publication date: 11th July 2022
Single-junction organic solar cells (OSC) nowadays have reached promising power conversion efficiencies around 19% [1]. Besides new materials, going beyond the current efficiencies could, in principle, be achieved by multi-junction devices, which promise a reduction in thermalization losses. Nevertheless, state-of-the-art multi-junction OSC, leaded by the tandem approach in which two single junction devices are stacked on top of each other, exhibit, thus far, similar efficiency values.[3], [4] This is attributed to the challenges that arise when depositing subsequent layers via solution processing, as well as the need for either a current matching or an extra transparent electrode.[4]
In this talk, we will present a new multi-junction in-plane spectral splitting geometry that we call Rainbow solar cells. In this geometry, a series of sub-cells are placed next to each other laterally, and illuminated through an optical component that splits the incoming white beam into its spectral components, thus matching local spectrum and absorption for each sub-cell. The fabricated n-terminal devices are capable of extracting the maximum power of each sub-cell without the need for any current matching nor processing challenges. After presenting the Rainbow OSCs concept, we use device simulations to provide design rules for increased efficiency in a Rainbow configuration. Then, we will show experimental results for PM6:IO-4Cl and PTB7-Th:COTIC-4F blends, as high and low band-gap sub-cells, respectively. In agreement with simulations, we demonstrate an efficiency increase of around 30% of the Rainbow geometry with respect to our best single junction device.