Combinatorial study of the long-term stability of organic thin-film solar cells

Abstract

We present a setup that allows us to combinatorially study organic multilayer devices for durability and degradation mechanisms. Arrays of 8×8 thin-film organic devices are prepared by vacuum deposition and investigated under vacuum conditions. Measurements of nine types of organic solar cells are presented. Continuous solar-like illumination at 80 mW/cm2 and a temperature of 80 °C provide realistic testing conditions. The degradation of solar cells has been investigated as a function of layer combination and layer thickness over a period of 800 h. Different time scales of degradation are identified and attributed to the layer structure of the devices.