Maximal light-energy transfer through a dielectric/metal-layered electrode on a photoactive device

We report the fabrication of an optimized low reflective dielectric/metal-layered electrode that provides significant electrical conductivity and light transparency in the near-infrared wavelength regime. By making the metal film thickness thick enough and choosing a proper dielectric layer with a certain thickness, we show that our suggested electrode significantly reduces the light reflection while preserving high electrical conductivity. We demonstrate our optimized electrodes present a highly conductive surface with a sheet resistance of 5.2 O/sq and a high light transmittance of near 85% in the near-infrared regime. We also apply our optimized electrode to thin-film organic photovoltaic devices and show the electrode helps in absorbing light energy inside an active layer. We believe that this simple but powerful layered electrode will pave the way for designing transparent electrodes on photoactive devices. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America