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Song W, Ye Q, Chen Z, Ge J, Xie L, Ge Z. Advances in Stretchable Organic Photovoltaics: Flexible Transparent Electrodes and Deformable Active Layer Design. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2311170. [PMID: 38813892 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202311170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Stretchable organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have attracted significant attention as promising power sources for wearable electronic systems owing to their superior robustness under repetitive tensile strains and their good compatibility. However, reconciling a high power-conversion efficiency and a reasonable flexibility is a tremendous challenge. In addition, the development of stretchable OPVs must be accelerated to satisfy the increasing requirements of niche markets for mechanical robustness. Stretchable OPV devices can be classified as either structurally or intrinsically stretchable. This work reviews recent advances in stretchable OPVs, including the design of mechanically robust transparent electrodes, photovoltaic materials, and devices. Initially, an overview of the characteristics and recent research progress in the areas of structurally and intrinsically stretchable OPVs is provided. Subsequently, research into flexible and stretchable transparent electrodes that directly affect the performances of stretchable OPVs is summarized and analyzed. Overall, this review aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the intrinsic properties of highly efficient and deformable active materials, while also emphasizing advanced strategies for simultaneously improving the photovoltaic performance and mechanical flexibility of the active layer, including material design, multi-component settings, and structural optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Song
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Energy Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qinrui Ye
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Energy Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhenyu Chen
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Energy Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jinfeng Ge
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Energy Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lin Xie
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Energy Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ziyi Ge
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Energy Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Vo TTB, Lim J, Joo SH, Kim H, Lee T, Bae JS, Jeong E, Kwon MS, Yun J, Choi D. Smooth, Chemically Altered Nucleating Platform for Abrupt Performance Enhancement of Ultrathin Cu-Layer-Based Transparent Electrodes. NANO LETTERS 2023. [PMID: 37432884 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Rapid advances in flexible optoelectronic devices necessitate the concomitant development of high-performance, cost-efficient, and flexible transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs). This Letter reports an abrupt enhancement in the optoelectronic characteristics of ultrathin Cu-layer-based TCEs via Ar+-mediated modulation of the chemical and physical states of a ZnO support surface. This approach strongly regulates the growth mode for the subsequently deposited Cu layer, in addition to marked alteration to the ZnO/Cu interface states, resulting in exceptional TCE performance in the form of ZnO/Cu/ZnO TCEs. The resultant Haacke figure of merit (T10/Rs) of 0.063 Ω-1, 53% greater than that of the unaltered, otherwise identical structure, corresponds to a record-high value for Cu-layer-based TCEs. Moreover, the enhanced TCE performance in this approach is shown to be highly sustainable under severe simultaneous loadings of electrical, thermal, and mechanical stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tran Thi Bao Vo
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, 176 Eomgwangro, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeun Lim
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, 176 Eomgwangro, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
| | - Si Hyeon Joo
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, 176 Eomgwangro, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
| | - Heechang Kim
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, 176 Eomgwangro, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
| | - Taehyeong Lee
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, 176 Eomgwangro, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Seong Bae
- Korea Basic Science Institute (Busan Center), 1 Gwahaksandanro, Busan 46742, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunwook Jeong
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Suk Kwon
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungheum Yun
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Dooho Choi
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, 176 Eomgwangro, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
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Pan Y, Liang X, Liang Z, Yao R, Ning H, Zhong J, Chen N, Qiu T, Wei X, Peng J. Application of Solution Method to Prepare High Performance Multicomponent Oxide Thin Films. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12070641. [PMID: 35877844 PMCID: PMC9320365 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12070641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Capacitors play an increasingly important role in hybrid integrated circuits, while the MIM capacitors with high capacitance density and small thickness can meet the needs of high integration. Generally speaking, the films prepared with a single metal oxide dielectric often achieve a breakthrough in one aspect of performance, but dielectric layers are required to be improved to get better performance in leakage current, capacitance density, and transmittance simultaneously in modern electronic devices. Therefore, we optimized the performance of the dielectric layers by using multiple metal oxides. We combined zirconia, yttria, magnesium oxide, alumina, and hafnium oxide with the solution method to find the best combination of these five metal oxides. The physical properties of the multi-component films were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM), ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer, and other instruments. The results show that the films prepared by multi-component metal oxides have good transmittance and low roughness. The thicknesses of all films in our experiment are less than 100 nm. Then, metal–insulator–metal (MIM) devices were fabricated. In addition, we characterized the electrical properties of MIM devices. We find that multi-component oxide films can achieve good performances in several aspects. The aluminum-magnesium-yttrium-zirconium-oxide (AMYZOx) group of 0.6 M has the lowest leakage current density, which is 5.03 × 10−8 A/cm2 @ 1.0 MV/cm. The hafnium-magnesium-yttrium-zirconium-oxide (HMYZOx) group of 0.8 M has a maximum capacitance density of 208 nF/cm2. The films with a small thickness and a high capacitance density are very conducive to high integration. Therefore, we believe that multi-component films have potential in the process of dielectric layers and great application prospects in highly integrated electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaru Pan
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; (Y.P.); (Z.L.); (R.Y.); (J.Z.); (N.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Xihui Liang
- Institute of Semiconductors, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China;
| | - Zhihao Liang
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; (Y.P.); (Z.L.); (R.Y.); (J.Z.); (N.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Rihui Yao
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; (Y.P.); (Z.L.); (R.Y.); (J.Z.); (N.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Honglong Ning
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; (Y.P.); (Z.L.); (R.Y.); (J.Z.); (N.C.); (J.P.)
- Correspondence: (H.N.); (T.Q.)
| | - Jinyao Zhong
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; (Y.P.); (Z.L.); (R.Y.); (J.Z.); (N.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Nanhong Chen
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; (Y.P.); (Z.L.); (R.Y.); (J.Z.); (N.C.); (J.P.)
| | - Tian Qiu
- Department of Intelligent Manufacturing, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China
- Correspondence: (H.N.); (T.Q.)
| | - Xiaoqin Wei
- Southwest Institute of Technology and Engineering, Chongqing 400039, China;
| | - Junbiao Peng
- Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; (Y.P.); (Z.L.); (R.Y.); (J.Z.); (N.C.); (J.P.)
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Li X, Zhu R, He Z, Du X, Lin H, Zheng C, Yang G, Chen Z, Tao S. Additive-Induced Vertical Component Distribution Enables High-Performance Sequentially Cast Organic Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:25842-25850. [PMID: 35635178 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c04997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Modulation of the active layer morphology to form a vertical component distribution structure is an effective way of improving the efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this paper, a layer-by-layer (LbL) spin-coating method was adopted combined with an additive strategy to achieve the purpose of precisely adjusting the morphology, and finally, high-performance OSCs based on a D18-Cl/Y6 system were achieved. After adding n-octane in D18-Cl, D18-Cl+/Y6 devices realized a PCE of 17.70%, while with the incorporation of 1-fluoronaphthalene (FN) in Y6, D18-Cl/Y6+ devices obtained a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.39%, both higher than the control devices (16.66%). The former resulted in a more orderly arrangement of D18-Cl, forming a suitable phase separation morphology, and the latter improved the crystallization of Y6, which facilitated carrier transport. Furthermore, the dual-additive-treated D18-Cl+/Y6+ bilayer devices with n-octane doping in the donor and FN in the acceptor had a more desirable vertical morphology, exhibiting an excellent PCE of 18.16% with an improved JSC of 27.17 mA cm-2 and FF of 76.88%, one of the highest efficiencies for LbL OSCs. The results demonstrated that combining the LbL spin-coating method with the additive strategy is a valid way to achieve hierarchical morphology control and enhance device performance, which is of great significance for the fabrication and development of OSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrui Li
- School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Ruobi Zhu
- School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Zeyu He
- School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyang Du
- School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Hui Lin
- School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Caijun Zheng
- School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Gang Yang
- School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
| | - Zhenhua Chen
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, P. R. China
| | - Silu Tao
- School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, P. R. China
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Jeong E, Lee T, Choi D, Yu SM, Lee SG, Bae JS, Han SZ, Lee GH, Ikoma Y, Choi EA, Yun J. Strategy for Fabricating Ultrathin Au Film Electrodes with Ultralow Optoelectrical Losses and High Stability. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:12797-12811. [PMID: 35234455 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c22858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A vital objective in the wetting of Au deposited on chemically heterogeneous oxides is to synthesize a completely continuous, highly crystalline, ultrathin-layered geometry with minimized electrical and optical losses. However, no effective solution has been proposed for synthesizing an ideal Au-layered structure. This study presents evidence for the effectiveness of atomic oxygen-mediated growth of such an ideal Au layer by improving Au wetting on ZnO substrates with a substantial reduction in free energy. The unexpected outcome of the atomic oxygen-mediated Au growth can be attributed to the unconventional segregation and incorporation of atomic oxygen along the outermost boundaries of Au nanostructures evolving in the clustering and layering stages. Moreover, the experimental and numerical investigations revealed the spontaneous migration of atomic oxygen from an interstitial oxygen surplus ZnO bulk to the Au-ZnO interface, as well as the segregation (float-out) of the atomic oxygen toward the top Au surfaces. Thus, the implementation of a 4-nm-thick, two-dimensional, quasi-single-crystalline Au layer with a nearly complete crystalline realignment at a mild temperature (570 K) enabled exceptional optoelectrical performance with record-low resistivity (<7.5 × 10-8 Ω·m) and minimal optical loss (∼3.5%) at a wavelength of 700 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunwook Jeong
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Taehyeong Lee
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
| | - Dooho Choi
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Min Yu
- Jeonju Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54907, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Geul Lee
- Daegu Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Seong Bae
- Busan Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Busan 46742, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Zeon Han
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Gun-Hwan Lee
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoshifumi Ikoma
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Eun-Ae Choi
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungheum Yun
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
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Martínez-Cercós D, Paulillo B, Maniyara RA, Rezikyan A, Bhattacharyya I, Mazumder P, Pruneri V. Ultrathin Metals on a Transparent Seed and Application to Infrared Reflectors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:46990-46997. [PMID: 34516098 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c10824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ultrathin metal films (UTMFs) are widely used in optoelectronic applications, from transparent conductors to photovoltaic cells, low emissivity windows, and plasmonic metasurfaces. During the initial deposition phase, many metals tend to form islands on the receiving substrate rather than a physically connected (percolated) network, which eventually evolves into continuous films as the thickness increases. For example, in the case of Ag and Au on dielectric surfaces, percolation begins when the thickness of the metal film is at least about 5 nm. It is known that the type of growth can be changed when a proper seed layer is used. Here, we show that a CuO layer directly deposited on a substrate can dramatically influence surface wetting and promote early percolation of polycrystalline Ag and Au UTMFs. We demonstrate that the proposed seed is effective even when its thickness is sub-nanometric, in this way maintaining the full transparency of the receiving substrate. The Ag and Au films seeded with CuO showed a percolation thickness close to 1 nm and were morphologically and optically characterized from an ultraviolet (λ = 300 nm) to a midinfrared (λ = 15 μm) wavelength. Infrared reflectors, a mirror and a resonant plasmonic structure, were also demonstrated and uniquely tuned by electrical gating, this being possible owing to the small thickness of the constituting Au UTMF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Martínez-Cercós
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bruno Paulillo
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rinu Abraham Maniyara
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aram Rezikyan
- Corning Research and Development Corporation, Sullivan Park, Corning, New York 14831, United States
| | - Indrani Bhattacharyya
- Corning Research and Development Corporation, Sullivan Park, Corning, New York 14831, United States
| | - Prantik Mazumder
- Corning Research and Development Corporation, Sullivan Park, Corning, New York 14831, United States
| | - Valerio Pruneri
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA-Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Passeig Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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Song W, Peng R, Huang L, Liu C, Fanady B, Lei T, Hong L, Ge J, Facchetti A, Ge Z. Over 14% Efficiency Folding-Flexible ITO-free Organic Solar Cells Enabled by Eco-friendly Acid-Processed Electrodes. iScience 2020; 23:100981. [PMID: 32224434 PMCID: PMC7109630 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Environment-friendly manufacturing and mechanical robustness are imperative for commercialization of flexible OSCs as green-energy source, especially in portable and wearable self-powered flexible electronics. Although, the commonly adopted PEDOT:PSS electrodes that are treated with severely corrosive and harmful acid lack foldability. Herein, efficient folding-flexible OSCs with highly conductive and foldable PEDOT:PSS electrodes processed with eco-friendly cost-effective acid and polyhydroxy compound are demonstrated. The acid treatment endows PEDOT:PSS electrodes with high conductivity. Meanwhile, polyhydroxy compound doping contributes to excellent bending flexibility and foldability due to the better film adhesion between PEDOT:PSS and PET substrate. Accordingly, folding-flexible OSCs with high efficiency of 14.17% were achieved. After 1,000 bending or folding cycles, the device retained over 90% or 80% of its initial efficiency, respectively. These results represent one of the best performances for ITO-free flexible OSC reported so far and demonstrate a novel approach toward commercialized efficient and foldable green-processed OSCs. Highly conductive PEDOT:PSS electrodes based on eco-friendly acid were exploited 14.17% folding-flexible organic solar cells were realized The bending performance was significantly improved by interface bonding engineering
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Song
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruixiang Peng
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Like Huang
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
| | - Billy Fanady
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
| | - Tao Lei
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ling Hong
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jinfeng Ge
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China
| | - Antonio Facchetti
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Ziyi Ge
- Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Jeong E, Bae S, Park JB, Yu SM, Kim D, Lee HS, Rha J, Cho YR, Yun J. Pinhole-free TiO2/Ag(O)/ZnO configuration for flexible perovskite solar cells with ultralow optoelectrical loss. RSC Adv 2019; 9:9160-9170. [PMID: 35517702 PMCID: PMC9062062 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00042a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) fabricated on transparent polymer substrates are considered a promising candidate as flexible solar cells that can emulate the advantages of organic solar cells, which exhibit considerable freedom in their device design thanks to their light weight and mechanically flexibility while achieving high photocurrent conversion efficiency, comparable to that of their conventional counterparts fabricated on rigid glasses. However, the full realization of highly efficient, flexible PSCs is largely prevented by technical difficulties in simultaneously attaining a transparent electrode with efficient charge transport to meet the specifications of PSCs. In this study, an effective strategy for resolving this technical issue has been devised by proposing a simple but highly effective technique to fabricate an efficient, multilayer TiO2/Ag(O)/ZnO (TAOZ) configuration. This configuration displays low losses in optical transmittance and electrical conductivity owing to its completely continuous, ultrathin metallic Ag(O) transparent electrode, and any notable current leakage is suppressed by its pinhole-free TiO2 electron transport layer. These features are a direct consequence of the rapid evolution of Ag(O) and TiO2 into ultrathin, completely continuous, pinhole-free layers owing to the dramatically improved wetting of metallic Ag(O) with a minimal dose of oxygen (ca. 3 at%) during sputtering. The TAOZ configuration exhibits an average transmittance of 88.5% in the spectral range of 400–800 nm and a sheet resistance of 8.4 Ω sq−1 while demonstrating superior mechanical flexibility to that of the conventional TiO2 on ITO configuration. The photocurrent conversion efficiency of flexible PSCs is significantly improved by up to 11.2% thanks to an optimum combination of optoelectrical performance and pinhole-free morphologies in the TAOZ configuration. A TiO2/Ag(O)/ZnO configuration is developed for flexible perovskite solar cells to provide a pinhole-free electron transport layer and a transparent electrode.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunwook Jeong
- Surface Technology Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science
- Changwon
- Republic of Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Pusan National University
| | - Soohyun Bae
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Korea University
- Seoul 02841
- Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Bae Park
- Jeonju Center
- Korea Basic Science Institute
- Jeonju
- Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Min Yu
- Jeonju Center
- Korea Basic Science Institute
- Jeonju
- Republic of Korea
| | - Donghwan Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Korea University
- Seoul 02841
- Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Seok Lee
- KU-KIST Green School
- Graduate School of Energy and Environment
- Korea University
- Seoul 02841
- Republic of Korea
| | - Jongjoo Rha
- Surface Technology Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science
- Changwon
- Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Rae Cho
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Pusan National University
- Busan 46241
- Republic of Korea
| | - Jungheum Yun
- Surface Technology Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science
- Changwon
- Republic of Korea
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Zhao G, Shen W, Jeong E, Lee SG, Chung HS, Bae TS, Bae JS, Lee GH, Tang J, Yun J. Nitrogen-Mediated Growth of Silver Nanocrystals to Form UltraThin, High-Purity Silver-Film Electrodes with Broad band Transparency for Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:40901-40910. [PMID: 30379522 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b13377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Controlling the shape and crystallography of nanocrystals during the early growth stages of a noble metal layer is important because of its correlation with the final layer morphology and optoelectrical features, but this task is unattainable in vapor deposition processes dominated by artificially uncontrollable thermodynamic free energies. We report on experimental evidence for the controllable evolution of Ag nanocrystals as induced by the addition of nitrogen, presumed to be nonresidual in the Ag lattice given its strong float-out behavior. This atypical formation of energetically stable Ag nanocrystals with significantly improved wetting abilities on a chemically heterogeneous substrate promotes the development of an atomically flat, ultrathin, high-purity Ag layer with a thickness of only 5 nm. This facilitates the fabrication of Ag thin-film electrodes exhibiting highly enhanced optical transparency over a broad spectral range in the visible and near-infrared spectral range. An Ag thin-film electrode with a ZnO/Ag/ZnO configuration exhibits an average transmittance of about 95% in the spectral range of 400-800 nm with a maximum transmittance of over 98% at 580 nm, which is comparable with the best transparency values so far reported for transparent electrodes. This degree of optical transparency provides an excellent chance to improve the photon absorption of photovoltaic devices employing an Ag thin film as their window electrode. This is clearly confirmed by the superior performance of a flexible organic solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 8.0%, which is far superior to that of the same solar cell using a conventional amorphous indium tin oxide electrode (6.4%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqing Zhao
- Surface Technology Division , Korea Institute of Materials Science , Changwon , Gyeongnam 51508 , Republic of Korea
| | - Wenfei Shen
- Academy of Hybrid Materials, National Base of International Science & Technology Cooperation on Hybrid Materials , Qingdao University , Qingdao 266071 , People's Republic of China
| | - Eunwook Jeong
- Surface Technology Division , Korea Institute of Materials Science , Changwon , Gyeongnam 51508 , Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Geul Lee
- Daegu Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Daegu 41566 , Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Suk Chung
- Jeonju Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju , Jeonbuk 54907 , Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Sung Bae
- Jeonju Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju , Jeonbuk 54907 , Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Seong Bae
- Busan Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Busan 46742 , Republic of Korea
| | - Gun-Hwan Lee
- Surface Technology Division , Korea Institute of Materials Science , Changwon , Gyeongnam 51508 , Republic of Korea
| | - Jianguo Tang
- Academy of Hybrid Materials, National Base of International Science & Technology Cooperation on Hybrid Materials , Qingdao University , Qingdao 266071 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jungheum Yun
- Surface Technology Division , Korea Institute of Materials Science , Changwon , Gyeongnam 51508 , Republic of Korea
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Zhao G, Shen W, Jeong E, Lee SG, Yu SM, Bae TS, Lee GH, Han SZ, Tang J, Choi EA, Yun J. Ultrathin Silver Film Electrodes with Ultralow Optical and Electrical Losses for Flexible Organic Photovoltaics. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:27510-27520. [PMID: 30028116 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b08578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Improving the wetting ability of Ag on chemically heterogeneous oxides is technically important to fabricate ultrathin, continuous films that would facilitate the minimization of optical and electrical losses to develop qualified transparent Ag film electrodes in the state-of-the-art optoelectronic devices. This goal has yet to be attained, however, because conventional techniques to improve wetting of Ag based on heterogeneous metallic wetting layers are restricted by serious optical losses from wetting layers. Herein, we report on a simple and effective technique based on the partial oxidation of Ag nanoclusters in the early stages of Ag growth. This promotes the rapid evolution of the subsequently deposited pure Ag into a completely continuous layer on the ZnO substrate, as verified by experimental and numerical evidence. The improvement in the Ag wetting ability allows the development of a highly transparent, ultrathin (6 nm) Ag continuous film, exhibiting an average optical transmittance of 94% in the spectral range 400-800 nm and a sheet resistance of 12.5 Ω sq-1, which would be well-suited for application to an efficient front window electrode for flexible solar cell devices fabricated on polymer substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wenfei Shen
- Academy of Hybrid Materials, National Base of International Science & Technology Cooperation on Hybrid Materials , Qingdao University , Qingdao 266071 , People's Republic of China
| | | | - Sang-Geul Lee
- Daegu Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Daegu 41566 , Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Min Yu
- Jeonju Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju , Jeonbuk 54907 , Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Sung Bae
- Jeonju Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju , Jeonbuk 54907 , Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Jianguo Tang
- Academy of Hybrid Materials, National Base of International Science & Technology Cooperation on Hybrid Materials , Qingdao University , Qingdao 266071 , People's Republic of China
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