Large‐Area Organic Solar Cells: Material Requirements, Modular Designs, and Printing Methods. Issue 45 (3rd December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Guodong; Adil, Muhammad Abdullah; Zhang, Jianqi; Wei, Zhixiang
• Is Part Of: Advanced materials. Volume 31:Issue 45(2019)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2018-12-03
• Subjects: large‐area devices -- modular design -- organic solar cells -- printing -- thick film; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201805089
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0935-9648

Abstract

Abstract: The printing of large‐area organic solar cells (OSCs) has become a frontier for organic electronics and is also regarded as a critical step in their industrial applications. With the rapid progress in the field of OSCs, the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) for small‐area devices is approaching 15%, whereas the PCE for large‐area devices has also surpassed 10% in a single cell with an area of ≈1 cm 2 . Here, the progress of this fast developing area is reviewed, mainly focusing on: 1) material requirements (materials that are able to form efficient thick active layer films for large‐area printing); 2) modular designs (effective designs that can suppress electrical, geometric, optical, and additional losses, leading to a reduction in the PCE of the devices, as a consequence of substrate area expansion); and 3) printing methods (various scalable fabrication techniques that are employed for large‐area fabrication, including knife coating, slot‐die coating, screen printing, inkjet printing, gravure printing, flexographic printing, pad printing, and brush coating). By combining thick‐film material systems with efficient modular designs exhibiting low‐efficiency losses and employing the right printing methods, the fabrication of large‐area OSCs will be successfully realized in the near future. Abstract : The rapid development in large‐area organic solar cells (OSCs) is reviewed. Materials requirements, modular designs, and printing methods for large‐area OSCs are discussed. By combining thick‐film material systems with efficient modular designs, and then by employing the right printing methods, the fabrication of large‐area OSCs will be successfully realized in the near future.