Electrical and Photo-Induced Degradation of ZnO Layers in Organic Photovoltaics

Assaf Manor, Eugene A. Katz, Thomas Tromholt, Frederik C Krebs

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    We present the case of degradation of organic solar cells by sunlight concentrated to a moderate level (similar to 4 suns). This concentration level is not enough for sufficient acceleration of the photobleaching or trap-generation in the photoactive layer and therefore such short treatment (100 minutes) does not affect the short-circuit current of the device. However, a significant degradation of V-OC and FF has been recorded by measurements of the cell current-voltage curves with a variation of light intensity, for the devices before and after the treatment. The same degradation was found to occur after short application of forward voltage biases in the dark. This kind of degradation is found to be repairable, and could even be prevented by simple electrical treatment (short pulses of the reverse bias). Moreover, even the fresh cells can be improved by the same process. Generation and degeneration of shunts in ZnO hole-blocking layer as underlying physical mechanisms for the cell degradation and restoration, respectively, can explain the results.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalAdvanced Energy Materials
    Volume1
    Issue number5
    Pages (from-to)836-843
    ISSN1614-6832
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2011

    Bibliographical note

    This work was performed, in part, in the framework of the “Largecells”
    project that received funding from the European Commission’s Seventh
    Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement No.
    261936.” T. T. and F.C.K. thank the Danish Strategic Research Council
    (2104-07-0022) and EUDP (j. nr. 64009-0050) for a fi nancial support.

    Keywords

    • Polymer solar cells

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