Opt Express. 2016 Jan 25;24(2):A358-73. doi: 10.1364/OE.24.00A358.

Diffractive nanostructures for enhanced light-harvesting in organic photovoltaic devices.

Optics express

Jan Mayer, Benjamin Gallinet, Ton Offermans, Rolando Ferrini

PMID: 26832588 DOI: 10.1364/OE.24.00A358

Abstract

We present in-coupling gratings for improving the performance of thin film organic solar cells. The impact of the grating on the absorption in the active layer is modeled and explained using a standard cell architecture. An increase in absorption of 14.8% is predicted and is shown to be independent from the active material. The structure is then applied on blade-coated devices and yields an efficiency improvement of 12%. The angular behavior of the structures is measured showing superior performance for two dimensional gratings. By simulating the current generation for different angles and illumination conditions, we predict a total yearly increase of the generated current of 12% using an optimized grating. The fabrication of these structures, moreover, is compatible with roll-to-roll production techniques, thus making them an optimal solution for printed photovoltaics.

Publication Types

• Journal Article
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't