Hybrid solar cells based on thin-film silicon and P3HT

Pierre-Jean Alet (1) , Serge Palacin (2) , Pere Roca I Cabarrocas (3) , Billel Kalache (3) , Muriel Firon (4) , Rémi de Bettignies (4)

1 LCSI - Laboratoire de Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces
2 SPCSI - Service de Physique et de Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces
3 LPICM - Laboratoire de physique des interfaces et des couches minces [Palaiseau]
4 LCS - Laboratoire Composants Solaires

Hybrid concepts based on a nanoscale combination of organic and inorganic semiconductors are a promising way to enhance the cost efficiency of solar cells through a better use of the solar spectrum, a higher aspect ratio of the interface, and the good processability of polymers. A new type of solar cells has been investigated. It is based on a heterojunction between regio-regular poly(3-hexylthiophene) as an organic electron donor and silicon as an inorganic electron acceptor. In a first step towards nanostructured devices, cells made of flat thin films of these materials have been studied as a model case of the heterojunction. The materials were characterized through ellipsometry and absorption spectroscopy. The devices were studied by means of their spectral response and their I-V characteristics. By combining these results, the contribution of each layer and the mechanisms of photocurrent generation are explained. The best cells to-date show a power conversion efficiency of 1.6% under AM 1.5 illumination, with a Voc of 0.704 V and a Jsc of 4.22 mA/cm2.

Domains: Physics [physics]; Condensed Matter [cond-mat]; Materials Science [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Pierre-Jean Alet, Serge Palacin, Pere Roca I Cabarrocas, Billel Kalache, Muriel Firon, et al.. Hybrid solar cells based on thin-film silicon and P3HT. European Physical Journal: Applied Physics, 2007, 36, pp.231. ⟨10.1051/epjap:2006145⟩. ⟨cea-00301919⟩