Effects of solvent and annealing on the improved performance of solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene): Fullerene

Polymer solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) were fabricated using two different solvents. P3HT:PCBM films casted from chlorobenzene solution absorb more red light than the films casted from chloroform solution. After thermal annealing, the films casted from chloroform show higher absorption than the films casted from chlorobenzene. Solar cells made from P3HT:PCBM chlorobenzene solution show no change in the white light power conversion efficiency (2.2%) after annealing. Solar cells processed from P3HT:PCBM chloroform solution show a white light power conversion efficiency of 1.5% without thermal annealing and 3.4% after the thermal annealing. The stated efficiencies are not corrected for the spectral mismatch. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.