Theoretical models and experimental results on the temperature dependence of polyfluorene solar cells

Journal article, 2006

The temp. dependence of device parameters of polymer solar cells based on alternating copolyfluorene incorporating dioctyl-fluorene and di-thienyl-benzothiadiazole (APFO-3) mixed with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methylester (PCBM) was modeled theor. by simulation and investigated exptl. under illumination of AM1.5 (100 mW/cm2). Both simulation and exptl. results show photocurrent, fill factor and power conversion efficiency all increase, and the open-circuit voltages monotonically decrease with temp. increase from room temp. (RT) to 120 DegC. These results can be explained by taking into account the temp. dependence of the mobility, and the thermal activation of the injection current from the electrodes. The increase of PCE with temp. is a distinguishing feature of polymer solar cells. [on SciFinder (R)]