Low-cost Solar Cell Fabrication by Drop-on-Demand Ink-jet Printing

Abstract

This paper presents an ink-jet printing process that makes the manufacturing of polymer solar cells a viable, low-cost alternative to expensive, conventional silicon-based solar cells. The process involves printing thin films of a conductive polymer and an organic bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) materials such as conjugated polymer-fullerene derivative blend onto ITO coated glass or flexible plastic substrates, and sandwiching the two polymer layers between an anode and cathode to generate electricity when exposed to sunlight. Ink jet-printing uses a very minute amount of expensive BHJ materials making it a low-cost method that can be used for printing on flexible, plastic substrates as well as rigid substrates. Key words: Drop-on-demand ink jet printing, organic solar cells, and organic bulk heterojunction materials. Background on drop-on-demand inkjet printing In the 1950’s, Hansell observed the production of drops by electromechanically induced pressure waves [1]. In this type of system, a voltage pulse applied to a piezoelectric material that is directly or indirectly coupled to the fluid induces a