Modified electrode architecture for efficient and air-stable polymer solar cells based on P3HT:PCBM

Abstract Data are presented on high performance and air-stable organic solar cells with modified electrode architecture (MAOSCs), which have a patterned transparent anode determining the real active area of devices and a large area of reflective cathode covering the whole area of an active layer based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 (PCBM). Based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) scheme as a numerical method, improved light trapping within the photoactive layer, resulting from the efficient reflection of incident light at the large area of cathode, can be attained by modifying the conventional organic solar cell structures. Here, an improved power conversion efficiency of 4.3% was obtained in the case of MAOSCs under 1 Sun with air mass (AM) 1.5 global (G) condition. In addition, the stability of MAOSCs in air was remarkably improved due to the limited exposure of their active layers to air.