DataVXAdvanced Energy MaterialsPaper
journal article·2015-03Open access

Ethanedithiol Treatment of Solution‐Processed ZnO Thin Films: Controlling the Intragap States of Electron Transporting Interlayers for Efficient and Stable Inverted Organic Photovoltaics

Sai Bai, Yizheng Jin, Xiaoyong Liang, Zhizhen Ye, Zhongwei Wu, Baoquan Sun, Zaifei Ma, Zheng Tang, Jianpu Wang, Uli Würfel, Feng Gao, Fengling Zhang

Advanced Energy Materials· Volume 5· Issue 5
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Source abstract

Abstract

The surface defects of solution‐processed ZnO films lead to various intragap states. When the solution‐processed ZnO films are used as electron transport interlayers (ETLs) in inverted organic solar cells, the intragap states act as interfacial recombination centers for photogenerated charges and thereby degrade the device performance. Here, a simple passivation method based on ethanedithiol (EDT) treatment is demonstrated, which effectively removes the surface defects of the ZnO nanocrystal films by forming zinc ethanedithiolates. The passivation by EDT treatment modulates the intragap states of the ZnO films and introduces a new intragap band. When the EDT‐treated ZnO nanocrystal films are used as ETLs in inverted organic solar cells, both the power conversion efficiency and stability of the devices are improved. The control studies show that the solar cells with EDT‐treated ZnO films exhibit reduced charge recombination rates and enhanced charge extraction properties. These features are consistent with the fact that the modulation of the intragap states results in reduction of interfacial recombination as well as the improved charge selectivity and electron transport properties of the ETLs. It is further demonstrated that the EDT treatment‐based passivation method can be extended to ZnO films deposited from sol–gel precursors.
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Research context

NanomaterialsElectronic materials

OpenAlex topics: Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics · Perovskite Materials and Applications · Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Research

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials Department of Materials Science and Engineering Cyrus Tang Center for Sensor Materials and Application and Center for Chemistry of High‐Performance and Novel Materials Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China

Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon‐Based Functional Materials and Devices Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM) Soochow University 199 Ren'ai Road Suzhou 215123 China

Department of Physics Chemistry and Biology (IFM) Linköping University SE‐581 83 Linköping Sweden

Institute of Advanced Materials Nanjing Tech University Nanjing 210009 China

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE Heidenhofstr. 2 79110 Freiburg Germany

Materials Research Centre FMF University of Freiburg Stefan‐Meier‐Str. 21 79104 Freiburg Germany

Funding

National High Technology Research and Development Program of China · National Basic Research Program of China · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Natural Science Funds · Public Welfare Project · Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten) · Swedish Research Council (VR) · European Commission

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