Measurement technique said to boost viability of organic PVs
Aug. 10, 2009
A new measurement scheme from NIST may help make organic PV cells economically viable.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) scientists have deepened their understanding of the complex organic films at the heart of organic PV devices thanks to what's called a powerful new measurement strategy that reveals ways to control how solar cells form.
The team applied X-ray absorption measurements to the film interfaces. This led to the discovery that by changing the nature of the electrode surface, the electrical properties of the interface change dramatically. The resultant structure gives the light-generated photocurrent more opportunities to reach the proper electrodes and reduces the accumulation of fullerenes at the film bottom, both of which could improve the photovoltaic’s efficiency or lifetime.
