Stability of P3HT : PCBM photovoltaic cells by introducing UV-absorbing films of varying light transmittance

• Main Author: Tan, Valerie Huiyi.
• Other Authors: School of Materials Science and Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Organic/Polymer electronics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/44229
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The mechanisms leading to bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell degradation are not well understood. However, it is well known that P3HT-based solar cells are susceptible to degradation by water, oxygen and light. Hence, this study serves to determine the effects of light induced degradation of a poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): 6, 6-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)-based solar cell by introducing a ultra-violet absorbing film of various visible light transmittance (VLT). Devices were exposed to UV light, solar simulated light and also in a dark, humid environment. The stability of both thermally annealed devices and nanofiber integrated devices was also explored. The device performance degradation, characterized by the solar cell device parameters was found to degrade more rapidly as compared to the degradation of the polymer structure as revealed by UV-vis analysis. Atomic Force microscopy was then used to evaluate the morphological change of the active materials in the devices.