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J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 1, 013101 (2008); doi:10.1063/1.2998825 (8 pages)

Fabrication of organic solar array for applications in microelectromechanical systems

Jason Lewis ,
Jian Zhang ,
and Xiaomei Jiang

Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA Map This map

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We have developed an innovative way to fabricate organic solar arrays for application in dc power supplies for electrostatic microelectromechanical systems devices. A solar array with 20 miniature cells interconnected in series was fabricated and characterized. Photolithography was used to isolate the individual cells and output contacts of the array, whereas the thermal-vacuum deposition is employed to make the series connections of the array. With 1 mm2 for single cell and a total device area of 2.2 cm2, the organic solar array based on bulk heterojunction structure of π-conjugated polymers and C60 derivative [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester produced an open-circuit voltage of 7.8 V and a short-circuit current of 55 μA under simulated air mass (AM) 1.5 illumination with an intensity of 132 mW/cm2. The procedure described here has the full potential for use in future fabrication of microarray with the size as small as 0.01 mm2.

© 2009 American Institute of Physics

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful for the financial support from USF Grant No. GFMMD03, ACS Petroleum Research Fund (PRF 47107-G10) and the U.S. Department of Army USAMRMC Grant No. W81XWH-07-1-0708. We would also like to acknowledge Robert Tufts and Richard Everly for their help with USF NNRC facilities and training.

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. FABRICATION PROCESS
    1. Patterning of the anode
    2. Creation of the shadow mask
    3. Formation of the photoactive layer
    4. Deposition of the cathode
  3. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
  4. CONCLUSION

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

conducting polymers, fullerene compounds, micromechanical devices, photolithography, power supplies to apparatus, solar cell arrays, vacuum deposition

PACS

  • 84.60.Jt

    Photoelectric conversion

  • 85.85.+j

    Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and devices

  • 88.40.jr

    Organic photovoltaics

  • 81.15.-z

    Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy

ARTICLE DATA

History
Received 11 August 2008
Accepted 11 September 2008
Published 6 November 2008
Permalink
http://link.aip.org/link/JRSEBH/v1/i1/p013101/s1

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN:

19417012 (print)  
19417012 (online)

Publisher:

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

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Figures (4) Tables (1)

Figures (click on thumbnails to view enlargements)

FIG. 1
(a) Enlarged drawing of the anode, cathode, and sandwich structure of single cell with area of 1 mm2. (b) Illustration of the interdigitated organic solar cell array consisted of 20 single cells. The bottom (light purple) layer is photolithography-defined ITO anode, the middle (red) layer is spin-coated P3HT:PCBM, and the top (light blue) layer is thermal deposited cathode by shallow mask technique.
FIG. 1 View Enlargement | Download High Resolution Image (.zip file)
FIG. 2
The fabrication process of miniature solar cell array. Start from (1) a clean ITO on glass substrate, followed by (2) spin-coating photoresistance, (3) development of desired pattern by photolithography, (4) etching off the unwanted ITO, (5) washing off the photoresistance, (6) spin-coating active layer (P3HT:PCBM), (7) clean off excessive material, (8) deposit cathode via shadow mask.
FIG. 2 View Enlargement | Download High Resolution Image (.zip file)
FIG. 3
Upper panel: schematic of a single organic solar cell with bulk heterojunction structure. Lower panel: current-voltage characteristics of single cell made with P3HT:PCBM mixed with weight ratio of 1:1 under simulated AM1.5G, radiation at 132.6 mW/cm2. The active layer was spun-coat on patterned ITO substrate at 800 rpm, with a final thickness of about 200 nm. Post-device thermal annealing at 120 °C for 5 min was done before the I-V measurements.
FIG. 3 View Enlargement | Download High Resolution Image (.zip file)
FIG. 4
(a) A digital picture of the organic solar array with 20 miniature cells in series, (b) current-voltage curve of an organic solar array with nine functioning cells measured at simulated AM1.5G with radiation of 132.6 mW/cm2. The fabrication parameters are the same as single cell (in Fig. 3). The inset shows array Voc as a function of number of cells in series. An output voltage of 7.8 V was achieved with 18 cells in series.
FIG. 4 View Enlargement | Download High Resolution Image (.zip file)

Tables

Table I. Summary of device parameters for three organic solar cell arrays containing different numbers of cells in series. The current voltage characteristics in dark and under simulated solar AM1.5 with an intensity of 132.6 mW/cm2 are present. Each cell has an active area of 1 mm2. The power conversion efficiency (η) was calculated using Eq. 2 in text.

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