Dual Function of UV/Ozone Plasma-Treated Polymer in Polymer/Metal Hybrid Electrodes and Semitransparent Polymer Solar Cells

In this work, high-performance inverted indium tin oxide (ITO)-free semitransparent polymer solar cells are comprehensively investigated using a novel polymer/metal hybrid transparent electrode. The electrical and optical characteristics of hybrid electrodes are significantly enhanced by introducing UV/ozone plasma treatment on the polymer poly[(9,9-bis(3'-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)] (PFN), which is functioned as both a seed layer for ultrathin Ag metal electrode and an optical spacer for transparent devices. The optimized sheet resistance of PFN/Ag (12 nm) hybrid electrode is only half of the commercial ITO (9.4 vs 20.0 Omega sq(-1)) and the high wavelength-dependent reflectance of hybrid electrode helps to increase the ITO-free device short-circuit current density. Furthermore, the interface property between PFN and ultrathin Ag is analyzed in detail and the optical field distribution is calculated for comparison. A high power conversion efficiency of 5.02%, which is increased by 35% compared to that of the ITO-based device, is achieved in the ITO-free semitransparent device in conjunction with an excellent average visible transmittance above 28% that is higher than the benchmark of 25% for power-generating window, indicating its great potential in building integrated photovoltaic systems in the future. Furthermore, the strategy is successfully developed for other polymer systems, suggesting the universal applicability for plastic electronics.