Sign in

Photovoltaic cell

 Sean Shaheen et al
A photovoltaic cell is described, having a photoactive layer (4) made of two molecular components, namely an electron donor and an electron acceptor, particularly a conjugated polymer component and a fullerene component, and having two metallic electrodes (2, 5) provided on both sides of the...
Inventors: Sean Shaheen, Christoph Brabec, Thomas Fromherz, Franz Padinger, Sedar Sariciftci, Erhard Gloetzl
Assignee: Konarka Austria Forschungs und Entwicklungs GmbH
Primary Examiner: Alan Diamond
Attorney: Fish & Richardson P.C.

U.S. Classification
136/263; 136/256; 136/252; 257/40; 257/431; 257/461; 257/464

International Classification
H01L051/20; H01L031/0248

View patent at USPTO

Citations

Patent NumberTitleIssue date
5006915Electric device and photoelectric conversion device comprising the sameApr 9, 1991
5009958Functional devices comprising a charge transfer complex layerApr 23, 1991
5009985Iron complexes and bleaching baths containing sameApr 23, 1991
5131956Photovoltaic semiconductor deviceJul 21, 1992
5171373Devices involving the photo behavior of fullerenesDec 15, 1992
5178980Photoconductive imaging members with a fullerene compoundJan 12, 1993
5185208Functional devices comprising a charge transfer complex layerFeb 9, 1993
5221854Protective layer for the back reflector of a photovoltaic deviceJun 22, 1993
5247190Electroluminescent devicesSep 21, 1993
5331183Conjugated polymer - acceptor heterojunctions; diodes, photodiodes, and photovoltaic cellsJul 19, 1994
5350459Organic photovoltaic elementSep 27, 1994
5454880Conjugated polymer-acceptor heterojunctions; diodes, photodiodes, and photovoltaic cellsOct 3, 1995
5470910Composite materials containing nanoscalar particles, process for producing them and their use for optical componentsNov 28, 1995
5670791Photoresponsive device with a photoresponsive zone comprising a polymer blend Sep 23, 1997
5677572Bilayer electrode on a n-type semiconductorOct 14, 1997
5677573Field effect transistorOct 14, 1997
5698048Photoresponsive materialsDec 16, 1997
5759725Photoconductors and electrophotographic photoreceptors containing amorphous fullerenes Jun 2, 1998
5986206Solar cellNov 16, 1999
6198092Stacked organic photosensitive optoelectronic devices with an electrically parallel configurationMar 6, 2001
6239355Solid-state photoelectric deviceMay 29, 2001
6281430Electronic device comprising a columnar discotic phaseAug 28, 2001
6291763Photoelectric conversion device and photo cellSep 18, 2001
6303943Organic diodes with switchable photosensitivity useful in photodetectorsOct 16, 2001
6580027Solar cells using fullerenesJun 17, 2003

Referenced by

Patent NumberTitleIssue date
7317210Organic light emitting diode, method for the production thereof and uses thereofJan 8, 2008
7407831Method for producing organic solar cells or photo detectorsAug 5, 2008

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic cell, comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode;

a photoactive layer between the first and second electrodes, the photoactive layer comprising:
a conjugated polymer component;
a fullerene component;
a first electrically insulating layer between the photoactive layer and the first electrode; and
a second electrically insulating layer between the photoactive layer and the second electrode.

2. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the first electrically insulating layer has a thickness of at most five nanometers.

3. The photovoltaic cell of claims 1, wherein the first electrically insulating layer has a thickness of at most two nanometers.

4. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the first electrically insulating layer comprises an alkali halogenide.

5. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the first electrically insulating layer comprises lithium fluoride.

6. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein, during use of the photovoltaic cell, the first electrode is an electron-collecting electrode.

7. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the second electrically insulating layer has a thickness of at most five nanometers.

8. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the second electrically insulating layer comprises an alkali halogenide.

9. The photovoltaic cell of claim 7, wherein, during use of the photovoltaic cell, the second electrode is a hole-collecting electrode.

10. The photovoltaic cell of claim 9, further comprising a smoothing layer between the photoactive layer and the second electrode.

11. The photovoltaic cell of claim 10, wherein the second electrically insulating layer is between the smoothing layer and the second electrode.

12. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein, during use of the photovoltaic cell, the first electrode is a hole-collecting electrode.

13. The photovoltaic cell of claim 12, further comprising a smoothing layer between the photoactive layer and the first electrode.

14. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, further comprising a smoothing layer between the photoactive layer and the first electrode.

15. The photovoltaic cell of claim 14, wherein the smoothing layer comprises PEDOT.

16. The photoactive cell of claim 1, wherein the fullerene comprises functionalized fullerene PCBM.

17. A photovoltaic cell, comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode;

a photoactive layer between the first and second electrodes, the photoactive layer comprising:
an electron donor; and
an electron acceptor comprising a fullerene component;
a first layer comprising an alkali halogenide between the photoactive layer and the first electrode; and
a second layer comprising the alkali halogenide between the photoactive layer and the second electrode.

18. The photovoltaic cell of claim 17, wherein the alkali halogenide comprises lithium fluoride.

19. The photovoltaic cell of claim 17, wherein the first layer has a thickness of at most five nanometers.

20. The photovoltaic cell of claim 17, wherein the first layer has a thickness of at most two nanometers.

21. The photovoltaic cell of claim 17, wherein the electron donor comprises a conjugated polymer.

22. The photovoltaic cell of claim 21, wherein the electron acceptor comprises a fullerene component.

23. A photovoltaic cell, comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode;

a photoactive layer between the first and second electrodes, the photoactive layer comprising:
an electron donor comprising a conjugated polymer; and
an electron acceptor;
a first layer comprising an alkali halogenide between the photoactive layer and the first electrode; and
a second layer comprising the alkali halogenide between the photoactive layer and the second electrode.

24. The photovoltaic cell of claim 23, wherein the alkali halogenide comprises lithium fluoride.

25. The photovoltaic cell of claim 23, wherein the first layer has a thickness of at most five nanometers.

26. The photovoltaic cell of claim 23, wherein the first layer has a thickness of at most two nanometers.

27. The photovoltaic cell of claim 23, wherein the electron acceptor comprises a fullerene component.

Drawings