Hybrid crystalline-ITO/metal nanowire mesh transparent electrodes and their application for highly flexible perovskite solar cells
Source abstract
Abstract
Here, we propose crystalline indium tin oxide/metal nanowire composite electrode (c-ITO/metal NW-GFRHybrimer) films as a robust platform for flexible optoelectronic devices. A very thin c-ITO overcoating layer was introduced to the surface-embedded metal nanowire (NW) network. The c-ITO/metal NW-GFRHybrimer films exhibited outstanding mechanical flexibility, excellent optoelectrical properties and thermal/chemical robustness. Highly flexible and efficient metal halide perovskite solar cells were fabricated on the films. The devices on the c-ITO/AgNW- and c-ITO/CuNW-GFRHybrimer films exhibited power conversion efficiency values of 14.15% and 12.95%, respectively. A synergetic combination of the thin c-ITO layer and the metal NW mesh transparent conducting electrode will be beneficial for use in flexible optoelectronic applications. Reinforcing transparent electrodes with a nanowire mesh brings solar cells that can wrap around objects one step closer to production. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a rarity among metal oxide crystals – it is optically transparent and conductive enough to serve as electrodes in flat-panel displays and solar cells. Byeong-Soo Bae from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and co-workers have now discovered how to make ITO into 10-nanometre-thin, flexible electrodes using a resin embedded with metal nanowires. Normally, the high temperatures needed to produce ITO crystals degrade flexible polymer substrates. But the nanowires impart sufficient mechanical strength to keep the electrodes pliant after ITO heat treatment. Depositing perovskite-type crystals onto the electrodes enabled the researchers to fabricate bendable solar cells with power conversion efficiencies of 12-14%. Flexible, thermally/chemically robust and high-performance transparent conducting electrode platform (c-ITO/metal NW-GFRHybrimer film) is fabricated using surface-embedded metal nanowire and crystalline indium tin oxide hybrid electrode. Highly flexible perovskite devices are fabricated on the c-ITO/metal NW-GFRHybrimer and show mechanically stable performances.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies · Thin-Film Transistor Technologies · Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (43)
Show source-provided references
1. Ellmer, K. Past achievements and future challenges in the development of optically transparent electrodes. Nat. Photon. 6, 809–817 (2012).10.1038/nphoton.2012.282 ↗
2. Gaynor, W., Burkhard, G. F., McGehee, M. D. & Peumans, P. Smooth nanowire/polymer composite transparent electrodes. Adv. Mater. 23, 2905–2910 (2011).10.1002/adma.201100566 ↗
3. An, B. W., Hyun, B. G., Kim, S. Y., Kim, M., Lee, M. S., Lee, K., Koo, J. B., Chu, H. Y., Bae, B. S. & Park, J. U. Stretchable and transparent electrodes using hybrid structures of graphene-metal nanotrough networks with high performances and ultimate uniformity. Nano Lett. 14, 6322–6328 (2014).10.1021/nl502755y ↗
4. Kim, K., Kim, J., Hyun, B. G., Ji, S., Kim, S. Y., Kim, S., An, B. W. & Park, J. U. Stretchable and transparent electrodes based on in-plane structures. Nanoscale 7, 14577 (2015).10.1039/C5NR04341G ↗
5. An, B. W., Gwak, E. J., Kim, K., Kim, Y. C., Jang, J., Kim, J. Y. & Park, J. U. Stretchable, transparent electrodes as wearable heaters using nanotrough networks of metallic glasses with superior mechanical properties and thermal stability. Nano Lett. 16, 471–478 (2016).10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04134 ↗
6. Hecht, D. S., Hu, L. & Irvin, G. Emerging transparent electrodes based on thin films of carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metallic nanostructures. Adv. Mater. 23, 1482–1513 (2011).10.1002/adma.201003188 ↗
7. Chen, Z., Li, W., Li, R., Zhang, Y., Xu, G. & Cheng, H. Fabrication of highly transparent and conductive indium-tin oxide thin films with a high figure of merit via solution processing. Langmuir 29, 13836–13842 (2013).10.1021/la4033282 ↗
8. Choi, M.-C., Kim, Y. & Ha, C.-S. Polymers for flexible displays: from material selection to device applications. Prog. Polym. Sci. 33, 581–630 (2008).10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2007.11.004 ↗
9. Leterrier, Y., Médico, L., Demarco, F., Månson, J. A. E., Betz, U., Escolà, M. F., Kharrazi Olsson, M. & Atamny, F. Mechanical integrity of transparent conductive oxide films for flexible polymer-based displays. Thin Solid Films 460, 156–166 (2004).10.1016/j.tsf.2004.01.052 ↗
10. Kang, S.-B., Kim, H.-J., Noh, Y.-J., Na, S.-I. & Kim, H.-K. Face-to-face transferred multicrystalline ITO films on colorless polyimide substrates for flexible organic solar cells. Nano Energy 11, 179–188 (2015).10.1016/j.nanoen.2014.10.030 ↗
11. Morikawa, H. & Fujita, M. Crystallization and electrical property change on the annealing of amorphous indium-oxide and indium-tin-oxide thin films. Thin Solid Films 359, 61–67 (2000).10.1016/S0040-6090(99)00749-X ↗
12. Bender, M., Trube, J. & Stollenwerk, J. Deposition of transparent and conducting indium-tin-oxide films by the R.F.-superimposed dc sputtering technology. Thin Solid Films 354, 100–105 (1999).10.1016/S0040-6090(99)00558-1 ↗
13. Kim, B. J., Kim, D. H., Lee, Y.-Y., Shin, H.-W., Han, G. S., Hong, J. S., Mahmood, K., Ahn, T. K., Joo, Y.-C., Hong, K. S., Park, N.-G., Lee, S. & Jung, H. S. Highly efficient and bending durable perovskite solar cells: Toward a wearable power source. Energy Environ. Sci. 8, 916–921 (2015).10.1039/C4EE02441A ↗
14. Gaynor, W., Hofmann, S., Christoforo, M. G., Sachse, C., Mehra, S., Salleo, A., McGehee, M. D., Gather, M. C., Lüssem, B., Müller-Meskamp, L., Peumans, P. & Leo, K. Color in the corners: ITO-free white oleds with angular color stability. Adv. Mater. 25, 4006–4013 (2013).10.1002/adma.201300923 ↗
15. Hu, L., Kim, H. S., Lee, J. Y., Peumans, P. & Cui, Y. Scalable coating and properties of transparent, flexible, silver nanowire electrodes. ACS Nano 4, 2955–2963 (2010).10.1021/nn1005232 ↗
16. Lee, J., Lee, P., Lee, H. B., Hong, S., Lee, I., Yeo, J., Lee, S. S., Kim, T. S., Lee, D. & Ko, S. H. Room-temperature nanosoldering of a very long metal nanowire network by conducting-polymer-assisted joining for a flexible touch-panel application. Adv. Funct. Mater. 23, 4171–4176 (2013).10.1002/adfm.201203802 ↗
17. Im, H. G., Jung, S. H., Jin, J., Lee, D., Lee, J., Lee, D., Lee, J. Y., Kim, I. D. & Bae, B. S. Flexible transparent conducting hybrid film using a surface-embedded copper nanowire network: a highly oxidation-resistant copper nanowire electrode for flexible optoelectronics. ACS Nano 8, 10973–10979 (2014).10.1021/nn504883m ↗
18. Lee, M. S., Lee, K., Kim, S. Y., Lee, H., Park, J., Choi, K. H., Kim, H. K., Kim, D. G., Lee, D. Y., Nam, S. & Park, J. U. High-performance, transparent, and stretchable electrodes using graphene-metal nanowire hybrid structures. Nano Lett. 13, 2814–2821 (2013).10.1021/nl401070p ↗
19. Lee, J. Y., Connor, S. T., Cui, Y. & Peumans, P. Solution-processed metal nanowire mesh transparent electrodes. Nano Lett. 8, 689–692 (2008).10.1021/nl073296g ↗
20. Leem, D. S., Edwards, A., Faist, M., Nelson, J., Bradley, D. D. & de Mello, J. C. Efficient organic solar cells with solution-processed silver nanowire electrodes. Adv. Mater. 23, 4371–4375 (2011).10.1002/adma.201100871 ↗
21. Liang, J., Li, L., Niu, X., Yu, Z. & Pei, Q. Elastomeric polymer light-emitting devices and displays. Nat. Photon 7, 817–824 (2013).10.1038/nphoton.2013.242 ↗
22. Jin, J., Lee, J., Jeong, S., Yang, S., Ko, J.-H., Im, H.-G., Baek, S.-W., Lee, J.-Y. & Bae, B.-S. High-performance hybrid plastic films: A robust electrode platform for thin-film optoelectronics. Energy Environ. Sci. 6, 1811–1817 (2013).10.1039/c3ee24306k ↗
23. Sachse, C., Weiß, N., Gaponik, N., Müller-Meskamp, L., Eychmüller, A. & Leo, K. ITO-free, small-molecule organic solar cells on spray-coated copper-nanowire-based transparent electrodes. Adv. Energy Mater. 4, 1300737 (2014).10.1002/aenm.201300737 ↗
24. Im, H. G., Jin, J., Ko, J. H., Lee, J., Lee, J. Y. & Bae, B. S. Flexible transparent conducting composite films using a monolithically embedded AgNW electrode with robust performance stability. Nanoscale 6, 711–715 (2013).10.1039/C3NR05348B ↗
25. Lee, D., Lee, H., Ahn, Y., Jeong, Y., Lee, D. Y. & Lee, Y. Highly stable and flexible silver nanowire-graphene hybrid transparent conducting electrodes for emerging optoelectronic devices. Nanoscale 5, 7750–7755 (2013).10.1039/c3nr02320f ↗
26. Won, Y., Kim, A., Lee, D., Yang, W., Woo, K., Jeong, S. & Moon, J. Annealing-free fabrication of highly oxidation-resistive copper nanowire composite conductors for photovoltaics. NPG Asia Mater. 6, e105 (2014).10.1038/am.2014.36 ↗
27. Chen, Z., Ye, S., Stewart, I. E. & Wiley, B. J. Copper nanowire networks with transparent oxide shells that prevent oxidation without reducing transmittance. ACS Nano 8, 9673–9679 (2014).10.1021/nn504308n ↗
28. Han, J., Yuan, S., Liu, L., Qiu, X., Gong, H., Yang, X., Li, C., Hao, Y. & Cao, B. Fully indium-free flexible Ag nanowires/ZnO:F composite transparent conductive electrodes with high haze. J. Mater. Chem. A 3, 5375–5384 (2015).10.1039/C4TA05728G ↗
29. Göbelt, M., Keding, R., Schmitt, S. W., Hoffmann, B., Jäckle, S., Latzel, M., Radmilović, V. V., Radmilović, V. R., Spiecker, E. & Christiansen, S. Encapsulation of silver nanowire networks by atomic layer deposition for indium-free transparent electrodes. Nano Energy 16, 196–206 (2015).10.1016/j.nanoen.2015.06.027 ↗
30. Huang, Q., Shen, W., Fang, X., Chen, G., Yang, Y., Huang, J., Tan, R. & Song, W. Highly thermostable, flexible, transparent, and conductive films on polyimide substrate with an AZO/AgNW/AZO structure. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 7, 4299–4305 (2015).10.1021/am508704u ↗
31. Jin, J., Ko, J. H., Yang, S. & Bae, B. S. Rollable transparent glass-fabric reinforced composite substrate for flexible devices. Adv. Mater. 22, 4510–4515 (2010).10.1002/adma.201002198 ↗
32. Elechiguerra, J. L., Larios-Lopez, L., Liu, C., Garcia-Gutierrez, D., Camacho-Bragado, A. & Yacaman, M. J. Corrosion at the nanoscale: the case of silver nanowires and nanoparticles. Chem. Mater. 17, 6042–6052 (2005).10.1021/cm051532n ↗
33. Chang, Y., Lye, M. L. & Zeng, H. C. Large-scale synthesis of high-quality ultralong copper nanowires. Langmuir 21, 3746–3748 (2005).10.1021/la050220w ↗
34. Tuna, O., Selamet, Y., Aygun, G. & Ozyuzer, L. High quality ITO thin films grown by dc and rf sputtering without oxygen. J. Phys. D Appl. Phys. 43, 055402 (2010).10.1088/0022-3727/43/5/055402 ↗
35. De, S., King, P. J., Lyons, P. E., Khan, U. & Coleman, J. N. Size effects and the problem with percolation in nanostructured transparent conductors. ACS Nano 4, 7064–7072 (2010).10.1021/nn1025803 ↗
36. Lee, H. J., Hwang, J. H., Choi, K. B., Jung, S. G., Kim, K. N., Shim, Y. S., Park, C. H., Park, Y. W. & Ju, B. K. Effective indium-doped zinc oxide buffer layer on silver nanowires for electrically highly stable, flexible, transparent, and conductive composite electrodes. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 5, 10397–10403 (2013).10.1021/am4025802 ↗
37. Kim, A., Won, Y., Woo, K., Jeong, S. & Moon, J. All-solution-processed indium-free transparent composite electrodes based on Ag nanowire and metal oxide for thin-film solar cells. Adv. Funct. Mater. 24, 2462–2471 (2014).10.1002/adfm.201303518 ↗
38. Kholmanov, I. N., Domingues, S. H., Chou, H., Wang, X., Tan, C., Kim, J. Y., Li, H., Piner, R., Zarbin, A. J. & Ruoff, R. S. Reduced graphene oxide/copper nanowire hybrid films as high-performance transparent electrodes. ACS Nano 7, 1811–1816 (2013).10.1021/nn3060175 ↗
39. Kim, A., Won, Y., Woo, K., Kim, C.-H. & Moon, J. Highly transparent low resistance ZnO/Ag nanowire/ZnO composite electrode for thin film solar cells. ACS Nano 7, 1080–1091 (2013).
40. Della Gaspera, E., Peng, Y., Hou, Q., Spiccia, L., Bach, U., Jasieniak, J. J. & Cheng, Y.-B. Ultra-thin high efficiency semitransparent perovskite solar cells. Nano Energy 13, 249–257 (2015).10.1016/j.nanoen.2015.02.028 ↗
41. Robertson, J. Band alignment at metal-semiconductor and metal-oxide interfaces. Phys. Status Solidi A 207, 261–269 (2010).10.1002/pssa.200982411 ↗
42. Kim, Y., Ryu, T. I., Ok, K.-H., Kwak, M.-G., Park, S., Park, N.-G., Han, C. J., Kim, B. S., Ko, M. J., Son, H. J. & Kim, J.-W. Inverted layer-by-layer fabrication of an ultraflexible and transparent Ag nanowire/conductive polymer composite electrode for use in high-performance organic solar cells. Adv. Funct. Mater. 25, 4580–4589 (2015).10.1002/adfm.201501046 ↗
43. Kim, Y. H., Müller-Meskamp, L. & Leo, K. Ultratransparent polymer/semitransparent silver grid hybrid electrodes for small-molecule organic solar cells. Adv. Energy Mater. 5, 1401822 (2015).10.1002/aenm.201401822 ↗