TY - JOUR

T1 - High-throughput roll-to-roll X-ray characterization of polymer solar cell active layers

A1 - Böttiger,Arvid P.L.

A1 - Jørgensen,Mikkel

A1 - Menzel,Andreas

A1 - Krebs,Frederik C

A1 - Andreasen,Jens Wenzel

AU - Böttiger,Arvid P.L.

AU - Jørgensen,Mikkel

AU - Menzel,Andreas

AU - Krebs,Frederik C

AU - Andreasen,Jens Wenzel

PB - Royal Society of Chemistry

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Synchrotron-based X-rays were used to probe active materials for polymer solar cells on flexible polyester foil. The active material was coated onto a flexible 130 micron thick polyester foil using roll-to-roll differentially pumped slot-die coating and presented variation in composition, thickness, and additives. The coated foil was passed through a synchrotron X-ray beam on a small unit comprising unwinder and winder for the foil, an X-ray probe station, and a barcode reader for sample registration. Foil lengths of 10 meters were probed and yielded X-ray scattering data for approximately every 1 cm, probing linear variations in processing and coating parameters along the foil. The demonstration shows that real-time structural characterization of roll-to-roll coating at realistic web-speeds is feasible using synchrotron radiation. Off-line characterization with lower spatial resolution would be possible with dedicated laboratory instruments. We found that poly(3-hexyl)thiophene (P3HT) only crystallizes at a ratio above 1 : 2 with phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and that an optimum addition of 2 vol% chloronaphthalene (CN) as a processing additive significantly improves polymer crystallinity and crystallite size. In coated films thinner than 275 nm, textured poly(3-hexyl)thiophene crystallites with the lamellar stack aligned with the substrate dominate, similar to what is observed for spin-coated films.

AB - Synchrotron-based X-rays were used to probe active materials for polymer solar cells on flexible polyester foil. The active material was coated onto a flexible 130 micron thick polyester foil using roll-to-roll differentially pumped slot-die coating and presented variation in composition, thickness, and additives. The coated foil was passed through a synchrotron X-ray beam on a small unit comprising unwinder and winder for the foil, an X-ray probe station, and a barcode reader for sample registration. Foil lengths of 10 meters were probed and yielded X-ray scattering data for approximately every 1 cm, probing linear variations in processing and coating parameters along the foil. The demonstration shows that real-time structural characterization of roll-to-roll coating at realistic web-speeds is feasible using synchrotron radiation. Off-line characterization with lower spatial resolution would be possible with dedicated laboratory instruments. We found that poly(3-hexyl)thiophene (P3HT) only crystallizes at a ratio above 1 : 2 with phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and that an optimum addition of 2 vol% chloronaphthalene (CN) as a processing additive significantly improves polymer crystallinity and crystallite size. In coated films thinner than 275 nm, textured poly(3-hexyl)thiophene crystallites with the lamellar stack aligned with the substrate dominate, similar to what is observed for spin-coated films.

U2 - 10.1039/c2jm34596j

DO - 10.1039/c2jm34596j

JO - Journal of Materials Chemistry

JF - Journal of Materials Chemistry

SN - 0959-9428

IS - 42

VL - 22

SP - 22501

EP - 22509

ER -