Model of Organic Solar Cell Photocurrent Including the Effect of Charge Accumulation at Interfaces and Non-Uniform Carrier Generation

Abstract

We developed an improved model to fit the photocurrent density versus voltage in organic solar cells. The model has been validated by fitting data from P3HT:PCBM solar cells. Our model quantitatively accounts for the band bending near the electrodes caused by charge accumulation in the active layer. The model explains the position of the built-in and the zero-field voltage, the value of the internal electric field, the impact of electrode materials, and the appearance of multiple inflections. In addition, the model can be used to monitor the cell condition during accelerated lifetests.