An-Najah Staff

A virtual fabrication of physical structures of new organic polymer solar cells, by developing a general-purpose ATLAS device using a simulator Atlas/Silvaco, is presented. Attention is paid to effects of types of both electrodes (anode and cathode) on device performance. Using the software tools, the solar cell was designed and simulated, and its characteristics were calculated. The influence of the hole-extraction layer (anode) of transparent conductive oxides (TCO) on the performance of the cell, based on bulk heterojunction structure polymer/fullerene (TCO/OC1C10-PPV:PCBM/Ca) (where PCBM is [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester), has been investigated. Using the structure ZnO:In/OC1C10-PPV:PCBM/Ca instead of ITO/OC1C10-PPV: PCBM/Ca, the cell characteristics were significantly enhanced, and the values of short-circuit current density, open circuit voltage, fill factor and cell efficiency were all increased. Using different metal cathode materials, such as Ca, Al, Au and Ag, also affected cell performance. The simulation results are encouraging and promising for higher cell efficiencies compared to published experimental results. Keywords: Organic solar cell, simulator Atlas/Silvaco, anode, cathode, transparent conductor oxide, work function