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Effect of gold nanopillar arrays on the absorption spectrum of a bulk heterojunction organic solar cell

Shu-Ju Tsai, Mihaela Ballarotto, Danilo B. Romero, Warren N. Herman, Hung-Chih Kan, and Raymond J. Phaneuf

Open Access Open Access

Abstract

We report on the effect of arrays of Au nanopillars of controlled size and spacing on the spectral response of a P3HT: PCBM bulk heterojunction solar cell. Prototype nanopillar-patterned devices have nearly the same overall power conversion efficiency as those without nanopillars. The patterned devices do show higher external quantum efficiency and calculated absorption in the wavelength range from approximately 640 nm to 720 nm, where the active layer is not very absorbing. The peak enhancement was approximately 60% at 675 nm. We find evidence that the corresponding resonance involves both localized particle plasmon excitation and multiple reflections/diffraction within the cavity formed by the electrodes. We explore the role of the attenuation coefficient of the active layer on the optical absorption of such an organic photovoltaic device.

©2010 Optical Society of America

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Figures (5)
Fig. 1
Fig. 1 (a). Schematic cross section of nanopillar-patterned organic solar cell. (b). SEM image of Au nanopillar arrays on ITO surface; nanopillar edge length 180 nm, pitch 540 nm, and height 70 nm.

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Fig. 2
Fig. 2 (a). Measured external quantum efficiency (EQE) for the (unpatterned) control cell and nanopillar-patterned cells under zero bias. (b). Simulated absorbance for control and patterned cells. (c). Ratios between measured EQE (blue curve) and simulated |E|2 (black curve) for a nanopillar-patterned cell and those for a control cell.

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Fig. 3
Fig. 3 (a). Simulated |E|2 image cutting though the center of Au nanopillar in patterned cell at peak of P3HT:PCBM absorption, but off resonance (575 nm wavelength). (b). Corresponding image on resonance (675 nm wavelength). (c). Simulated |E|2 image cutting though the center of Fe nanopillar in patterned cell on resonance (675 nm wavelength).

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Fig. 4
Fig. 4 (a). |E|2 integrated over volume of P3HT:PCBM layer for Au NP-patterned cell. For this and following panels: nanopillar edge length 180 nm, pitch 540 nm, and height 70 nm, illumination is at 675 nm wavelength at normal incidence, blue curve is for a P3HT:PCBM layer thickness of 220 nm, green curve for 250 nm and red curve for 280 nm. (b). |E|2 integrated over volume of P3HT:PCBM layer for Fe NP-patterned cell illuminated with 675 nm wavelength light at normal incidence. (c). |E|2 integrated over volume of a 20 nm wide shell around an Au NP. (d). |E|2 integrated over volume of a 20 nm wide shell around a Fe NP.

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Fig. 5
Fig. 5 (a). |E|2 images of the active layer cutting though the center of the Au nanopillars (dashed rectangles) in patterned cells for kA = 0.01 (upper panel), kA = 0.03 (middle panel) and kA = 0.8 (lower panel). (b). Calculated active layer absorption of the active layer with (pink curve) and without (black curve) NPs as function of its absorption coefficient (kA ) at an incident wavelength of 675 nm. (c). Difference between absorption of the patterned cell and that of the control cell. Insert: ratio of absorption of the patterned cell to that of the control cell.

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Tables (1)

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Table 1 Measured short circuit current densities, open circuit voltages and fill factors for a standard BHJ OPV device including PEDOT:PSS (column (a)), a control device with neither PEDOT:PSS nor Au nanopillars (column (b)) and a Au nanopillar patterned device with no PEDOT:PSS layer (column (c)) under solar AM 1.5 G illumination.

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Equations (1)

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Q A ( x , y , z ) = 2 π c ε o n A k A | E A ( x , y , z ) | 2 / λ
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