Performance optimization of non-fullerene acceptor organic solar cell by incorporating carbon nanotubes as flexible transparent electrode

Abstract

The Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE) of an Organic Solar Cell (OSC) is largely determined by the Transparent Conductive Electrode (TCE). ITO, the most commonly used TCE, degrades the device performance on flexible plastic substrate due to its brittleness and formation of cracks under mechanical stress. As a result, an alternative TCE is required to optimize OSC output. Owing to their high optical transparency, low sheet resistance, and high mobility, carbon nanotubes have gotten a huge interest as an electrode in organic solar cells. The present work uses the software SCAPS 1-D to simulate the performance of the NFA-BHJ-OSC with a transparent electrode of Carbon nanotubes doped with Molybdenum trioxide (MoO3). The optimized PCE of 22.71 %, Fill Factor (FF) of 63.14 %, Jsc of 38.38 mA/cm2 and Voc of 0.9371 V are shown in the current simulation-based work by varying the band gap of MoO3 doped CNTs. Also, upgrading the simulated cell's hole transport Layer with CuI, Cu2O, and CuSCN HTLs yields an optimized result with CuSCN HTL, having PCE of 27.57 %, FF of 70.88 %, Jsc of 37.12 mA/cm2, and Voc of 1.0477 V. These results show that BHJ-OSCs using CNT as a TCE hold promise to elevate the device performance of OSC in the near future.

Keywords

• Carbon nanotubes
• SCAPS-1D
• Organic solar cell
• Transparent conductive electrode
• Hole transport layer