IMEC and Plextronics Collaborate on High Efficiency Reproducible Organic Solar Cells
(Top News, 12 Sep 2008 )
IMEC and Plextronics have signed an agreement to collaborate on state-of-the-art materials and inks for organic solar cells.
With this collaboration, IMEC aims to develop a reproducible process for high-efficiency organic solar cells using Plextronics' Plexcore branded materials and inks, which have demonstrated efficiencies as high as 5.9%, according to recent testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado.
IMEC aims to develop organic multi-junction solar cells with efficiency of 10% by 2012. The company's focus is also on up-scaling of the process to achieve a large-area industrial manufacturing technology with an average efficiency of 7% (+/- 0.5%) and solar cell lifetime of 5 years.
To realize these goals, high-quality, highly reproducible commercial materials are essential. In the first phase, IMEC will investigate PlexcoreR OS, which is a regioregular poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) polymer with a high absorption coefficient close to the maximum photon flux in the solar spectrum and high mobility. PlexcoreR OS materials will be processed using spin coating and validated on film morphology, carrier mobility and reproducibility. Solar cells will be processed on different substrates using spin-coated films of the material.
Future research will include evaluation of other PlexcoreR materials and inks, using deposition techniques such as screen and inkjet printing and spray coating on large-area substrates.
