Dependence of Copper Phthalocyanine Photovoltaic Thin Film on the Sizes of Silver Nanoparticles

• Published in: SILICON 2018-09, Vol.10 (5), p.2165-2171
• Main Authors: Seoudi, R., Althagafi, H. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Electron microscopes; Environmental Chemistry; Incident light; Inorganic Chemistry; Lasers; Light reflection; Materials Science; Metal phthalocyanines; Morphology; Nanoparticles; Optical Devices; Optics; Original Paper; Particle size; Photonics; Photovoltaic cells; Polymer Sciences; Silver; Surface plasmon resonance; Thin films; Ultraviolet spectra; Vacuum thermal evaporation
• ISSN: 1876-990X; 1876-9918
• DOI: 10.1007/s12633-017-9748-1

In this work, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared with different particle sizes (6 nm, 11 nm, and 14 nm) using chemical methods. The morphology, distribution, and account sizes have been studying from transmission electron microscope (TEM) images. The change of the surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) bands with the particle sizes clarified from ultraviolet-visible spectra. A thin film from copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and their doped by AgNPs was done using thermal evaporation technique and spin coater under vacuum. The surface morphology of the films was studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Films tested as photovoltaics (PV) cells. It turns out that, the calculated efficiencies were (0.237%, 0.266%, and 0.280%) when the size of AgNPs was (6 nm, 11 nm, and 14 nm) respectively. We concluded that the large size of AgNPs increases the efficiency of CuPc thin films due to the increase of the scattering and low reflection of the incident light at the surface of the thin films.