Scalable and Patternable Organic Photovoltaic Cells by Dispenser Printing Method

Abstract

The organic photovoltaics (OPV) have been studied as a next-generation self-power generator because of many advantages such as low production costs, ultrathin, lightweight, high flexibility, and large scale fabrication [1,2]. In this research, the printed OPVs with simple, easy, and fast process were fabricated using dispenser printing method. The dispenser printing method based on line-printing process can be utilized for develop a scalable and patternable device as well as freedom design, which is comparable to s or doctor blade coating. The power conversion efficiency of the printed-devices with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) photoactive layer as a function of the processing pressure (film thickness or uniformity), stage temperature (drying velocity of printed film), and solvents (viscosity or dispersion), etc. has investigated. The device efficiency with printing condition of 10 kPa pressure showed 2.39%, which was higher than the devices with 2.11% in 15 kPa or 1.02% in 20 kPa (Fig. 1). The printed device characteristics were measured under AM 1.5 G simulated light and were summarized in Table 1. We have fabricated the parallel or series connected OPVs for further improved device performance. This research was supported by Korea Electric Power Corporation (Grant Number: R18XA06-11) and the MSIT (Ministry of Science and ICT), Korea, under the “ICT Consilience Creative program” (IITP-2018-2011-1-00783) supervised by the IITP.