The OE-A OPV demonstrator anno domini 2011

Polymer solar cells were prepared in large numbers using roll-to-roll methods and were subsequently integrated into the Organic Electronics Association (OE-A) demonstrator in the year 2011 and presented as a small credit card sized lamp with a flat outline. The lamp comprised the polymer solar cell together with printed circuitry, discrete components and flexible lithium polymer batteries. The number of discrete steps required for the manufacture of the lamp was 35 and more than 10 000 units of the demonstrator was manufactured. We describe the efforts towards increasing the technical yield which was 89% overall and discuss the compromises that had to be made to achieve the high technical yield for a process that was as automated as possible. All the steps in the preparation of the solar cell, the circuitry and the overlays were performed using full roll-to-roll methods. The mounting of the discrete components, such as LED, diode and Zener diode, was performed in sheets of 15 units using a fully automated SMD mounting machine. The mounting of the batteries, contacts and final testing was done manually. The lamination into the final lamp and the final laser cutting into the discrete lamps were performed using automated systems.