Department - Author 1
Physics Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Physics
Date
6-2013
Primary Advisor
Robert Echols
Abstract/Summary
As the earth runs out of nonrenewable energy sources and climate change starts to have drastic effects on the environment, the world is becoming increasingly desperate for cost efficient, renewable energy sources. Organic polymer based solar technology is a cutting edge approach to meeting the world’s energy demands. We fabricate single-layer, organic photovoltaics devices that utilize the electrical characteristics of semi-conductive polymers. These solution processable materials are beneficial due to their low material cost, lightweight, and simple fabrication requirements. Our devices utilize multiple photoactive polymers, P3HT and PCPDTBT, to absorb photons over a wide spectral range. We optimized various device characteristics including thickness and thermal anneal, to reach a power conversion efficiency of 3.0% in AM1.5 sunlight, standard illumination. We also investigated the effects of different packaging techniques on cell lifetime.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/physsp/78