Optimization and Efficiency Enhancement of Modified Polymer Solar Cells

• Published in: Polymers 2023-09, Vol.15 (18), p.3674
• Main Authors: Khan, Muhammad Raheel, Jarząbek, Bożena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Defects; Density; Efficiency; Electron transport; Electronics industry; Graphene; Heterojunctions; Optimization; Photovoltaic cells; Polymer films; Polymers; Semiconductors; Simulation; Solar batteries; Solar cells; Temperature effects; Thickness; Thin films
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym15183674

In this study, an organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell with a spiro OMeTAD as a hole transport layer (HTL) and a PDINO as an electron transport layer (ETL) was simulated through the one-dimensional solar capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D) software to examine the performance of this type of organic polymer thin-film solar cell. As an active layer, a blend of polymer donor PBDB-T and non-fullerene acceptor ITIC-OE was used. Numerical simulation was performed by varying the thickness of the HTL and the active layer. Firstly, the HTL layer thickness was optimized to 50 nm; after that, the active-layer thickness was varied up to 80 nm. The results of these simulations demonstrated that the HTL thickness has rather little impact on efficiency while the active-layer thickness improves efficiency significantly. The temperature effect on the performance of the solar cells was considered by simulations performed for temperatures from 300 to 400 K; the efficiency of the solar cell decreased with increasing temperature. Generally, polymer films are usually full of traps and defects; the density of the defect (Nt) value was also introduced to the simulation, and it was confirmed that with the increase in defect density (Nt), the efficiency of the solar cell decreases. After thickness, temperature and defect density optimization, a reflective coating was also applied to the cell. It turned out that by introducing the reflective coating to the back side of the solar cell, the efficiency increased by 2.5%. Additionally, the positive effects of HTL and ETL doping on the efficiency of this type of solar cells were demonstrated.