Planar, bulk and hybrid merocyanine/C₆₀heterojunction devices: a case study on thin film morphology and photovoltaic performance

Abstract

The growth of a thermally deposited merocyanine (HB364) thin film can be modified through insertion of a transition metal oxide layer between an indium tin oxide (ITO) covered glass substrate and the dye film. Pure or V2O5 modified ITO substrates result in highly crystalline HB364 films where the dye molecules adopt an edge-on orientation. Changing the transition metal oxide layer to WO3 or MoO3 results in a less ordered dye film with a mixed growth of edge-on and face-on orientations. Planar HB364/C60 heterojunction (PHJ) solar cells are fabricated using the different transition metal oxides as the anode buffer layers. The devices with a pure ITO or a V2O5 modified anode demonstrate the highest power conversion efficiencies up to 2.7% that also outperform HB364:C60 bulk heterojunction (BHJ) devices (2.5%). Finally, HB364/HB364:C60 hybrid heterojunction (HHJ) cells are fabricated showing the highest power conversion efficiency of 2.9%.