Investigation of the Use of Stereo-Pair Data Sets in Electron Tomography Characterization of Organic-Based Solar Cells

The processes that generate current in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are highly dependent on the micro-and nano-structure of the devices, especially at the donor-acceptor (D-A) interface. Light trapping strategies have been proposed to tailor absorption of incident sunlight and generate more photocurrent at the D-A interface. Recent studies have reported the use of a range of plasmonic nanostructures, such as nanoparticles, slit arrays and nanohole arrays to improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) in OPVs [1, 2]. While incorporation of plasmonic nanostructures for light trapping in thin-film PV cells is an attractive solution for enhancement of the optical absorption and current density in an OPV without increasing the thickness of its active layers, little is known about the detailed structure, chemistry and bonding between the active layer and the plasmonic nanostructures. The understanding of this interface is vital to understanding why these nanoparticles improve the efficiency of such devices. This knowledge will provide a foundation for the engineering of new OPV devices with improved PCE.