Analysis of Folded Geometry for Organic Solar Cells

ORAL

Abstract

Organic solar cells offer promise of clean affordable energy due to their potential for low cost, ease of production, and flexibility. Unfortunately practical implementation is prevented by lower power conversion efficiencies and shorter device lifetimes compared to inorganic photovoltaics. Many techniques are being investigated to improve the efficiency of organic solar cells beyond current limits of 5-6{\%}. Recent work has demonstrated that folding a flat organic solar cell can be an effective way to improve power conversion efficiency; however, efficiency gains range from 20-100{\%} depending on the details of the system. This theoretical work details the parameters affecting potential gains from a folded geometry. Results include guidelines for predicting which materials and device structures stand to benefit most from folding, and showing that some materials which cannot reach high efficiencies in a planar geometry can be competitive when in a folded solar cell.

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Authors

  • Aric Meyer

    North Carolina State University

  • Jaetae Seo

    NC A\&T State University, Penn State University, The Ohio State University, Wright State University, AFRL/RYHC Hanscom AFB MA 01731, Harvard University, The College of William \& Mary, NCSU Near-field Optics Lab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Weizmann, PTB, Braunschweig, UMass, TUNL/Duke, UConn, UConn/TUNL, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Brimrose Corporation of America, Hampton University, Elizabeth City State University, Department of Physics, Florida A\&M University, Tallahassee, Florida-32307, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshah-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6250, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Alabama A\&M University, Fachbereich C-Mathematik und Naturwissen-Schaften, Bergische Universitat Wuppertal, D-42097, Wuppertal, Germany, NC State University, College of William and Mary, Department of Physics, N.C. State Univeristy, Research Triangle Institute, NCSU Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Tsinghua University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, LSU, UNIRIB, U. Tenn., ORNL, Miss. St., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, NCA\&T, Duke, NCCU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Department of Physics, Elon University, Dept. of Physics - UNC - Chapel Hill, Nanyang Technological University, School of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Singapore, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3255, USA, Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, 305-600, South Korea, Department of Chemistry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, South Korea, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, 305-700, South Korea, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609

  • Jaetae Seo

    NC A\&T State University, Penn State University, The Ohio State University, Wright State University, AFRL/RYHC Hanscom AFB MA 01731, Harvard University, The College of William \& Mary, NCSU Near-field Optics Lab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Weizmann, PTB, Braunschweig, UMass, TUNL/Duke, UConn, UConn/TUNL, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Brimrose Corporation of America, Hampton University, Elizabeth City State University, Department of Physics, Florida A\&M University, Tallahassee, Florida-32307, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshah-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6250, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Alabama A\&M University, Fachbereich C-Mathematik und Naturwissen-Schaften, Bergische Universitat Wuppertal, D-42097, Wuppertal, Germany, NC State University, College of William and Mary, Department of Physics, N.C. State Univeristy, Research Triangle Institute, NCSU Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Tsinghua University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, LSU, UNIRIB, U. Tenn., ORNL, Miss. St., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, NCA\&T, Duke, NCCU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Department of Physics, Elon University, Dept. of Physics - UNC - Chapel Hill, Nanyang Technological University, School of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Singapore, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3255, USA, Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, 305-600, South Korea, Department of Chemistry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, South Korea, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, 305-700, South Korea, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609