High Efficiency Air-Processed Dithienogermole-Based Polymer Solar Cells

The effect of air processing, with air exposure varying from minutes to hours prior to encapsulation, on photovoltaic device performance has been studied through a series of electrical characterizations and optical simulations for a donor/acceptor polymer-based organic solar cell based on poly(dithienogermole-alt-thienopyrrolodione) p(DTG-TPD)/PC71BM blends. A similar to 10% degradation in power conversion efficiency was observed due to air processing with 10 min exposure time, with AM1.5 power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) decreasing from 8.5 +/- 0.25% for devices processed in inert nitrogen atmosphere to 7.7 +/- 0.18% for devices processed in ambient air. After 3 h air exposure, the PCE leveled off at 7.04 +/- 0.1%. This decrease is attributed partially to interface issues caused by exposure of the electrode materials to oxygen and water and partially to a degradation of the hole transport in the active layer.