Device Physics of Polymer:Fullerene Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Abstract Plastic solar cells bear the potential for large‐scale power generation based on materials that provide the possibility of flexible, lightweight, inexpensive, efficient solar cells. Since the discovery of the photoinduced electron transfer from a conjugated polymer to fullerene molecules, followed by the introduction of the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) concept, this material combination has been extensively studied in organic solar cells, leading to several breakthroughs in efficiency, with a power conversion efficiency approaching 5 %. This article reviews the processes and limitations that govern device operation of polymer:fullerene BHJ solar cells, with respect to the charge‐carrier transport and…

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  Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie
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  Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek