Highly efficient inverted polymer solar cell by low temperature annealing of Cs2CO3 interlayer

We demonstrate a highly efficient inverted bulk heterojunction polymer solar cell based on regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl C-61 butyric acid methyl ester with a low temperature annealed interfacial buffer layer, cesium carbonate (Cs2CO3). This approach improves the power conversion efficiency of the inverted cell from 2.3% to 4.2%, with short-circuit current of 11.17 mA/cm(2), open-circuit voltage of 0.59 V, and fill factor of 63% under AM1.5G 100 mW/cm(2) irradiation. This result is comparable to the previous regular structure device on the same system. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy shows that the work function of annealed Cs2CO3 layer decreases from 3.45 to 3.06 eV. Further x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reveal that Cs2CO3 can decompose into low work function, doped cesium oxide Cs2O upon annealing, which is accountable for the work-function reduction and device efficiency improvement. (c) 2008 American Institue of Physics.