Photovoltaic performance improvement in planar P3HT/CdS solar cells induced by structural, optical and electrical property modification in thermal annealed P3HT thin films

¹ Centro de Investigación en Energía, UNAM. Privada Xochicalco S/N, Temixco, Morelos 62580, Mexico
² Universidad del Istmo, Ciudad Universitaria, Bo. Santa Cruz Tagolaba, Santo Domingo Tehuantepec, Oaxaca 70760, Mexico

^a e-mail: hzh@cie.unam.mx

Received: 6 September 2012
Revised: 19 April 2013
Accepted: 25 April 2013
Published online: 5 July 2013

Abstract

Bilayer hybrid solar cells were prepared by solution deposition of CdS thin films on conductive glass substrates (ITO), followed by spin-coating or drop-casting poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) solution on a CdS surface. After a slow drying process, the P3HT films of different thicknesses (from 100 to 725 nm) were annealed at temperatures (T1) from 110 to 190 °C, called pre-metal contact annealing. Then carbon paint was collocated on top of P3HT and gold was evaporated. The whole structure was annealed for the second time, called post-metal contact annealing, at temperature (T2) between 110 and 190 °C. The continuous increase of the (1 0 0) crystalline plane and the optical absorption coefficient of P3HT films with annealing temperatures indicates the improvement of molecular order inside the polymer films induced by the thermal annealing process. The better ordered P3HT films lead to lower series resistance and higher fill factor in the corresponding solar cells, suggesting the enlargement of charge carrier mobility in annealed P3HT films. On the other hand, the photovoltaic performance is also affected by T2 temperature; a low T2 improves the ohmic contact between P3HT and the metal contact to benefit the charge carrier extraction, whereas a high T2 may deteriorate that union. The same observation was obtained in CdS/P3HT solar cells with P3HT films of different thicknesses. The best energy conversion efficiency of 0.44% was obtained in CdS/P3HT cells with 305 nm thick P3HT annealed at T1 = 190 °C and T2 = 110 °C for 10 min each.