IMEC and Plextronics partner on solar cells
by John Walko, EE Times Europe
London, Sept. 1, 2008
Source: EETimes.com
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210201642
European research organization IMEC (Leuven, Belgium) has teamed with Plextronics, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA.), a specialist in printed solar, lighting and other organic electronics, to develop a reproducible process for organic solar cells using Plextronics’ materials and inks. These materials have demonstrated world-record efficiencies as high as 5.9 percent, according to recent testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado.
IMEC also said it aims to develop organic multi-junction solar cells with efficiency of 10 percent by 2012. It is focusing on up-scaling of the process to achieve a large-area industrial manufacturing technology with an average efficiency of 7 percent (+/- 0.5 percent) and solar cell lifetime of 5 years. Earlier this year, IMEC revealed it is developing a method to produce 50 micron thick crystalline silicon wafers for use in solar cells.
The first phase of the collaboration will see IMEC use Plexcore OS, a regioregular poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) polymer with a high absorption coefficient close to the maximum photon flux in the solar spectrum and high mobility. The materials will be processed using spin coating and validated on film morphology, carrier mobility and reproducibility.
Solar cells will be processed on different substrates using spin-coated films of the material. Future research will include evaluation of other Plexcore materials and inks, using deposition techniques such as screen and inkjet printing and spray coating on large-area substrates.
“Plextronics’ materials look very promising for high-efficiency reproducible organic solar cells,” said Jef Poortmans, Program Director Solar at IMEC. “With their focus on materials, inks, and process technology for organic solar cells, we expect that our work with Plextronics will help accelerate our optimization and development of an industrial large-area process.” Andy Hannah, Plextronics’ CEO, added: “Our focus is on enabling OPV commercialization with new inks and technology, and partnering with organizations like IMEC that have processing and device expertise is vital to that goal.”