Trapping Light in Organic Plastic Solar Cells with integrated Diffraction Gratings
نویسندگان
چکیده
In this paper we investigate the potential of light trapping with diffraction gratings for organic solar cells. The architecture of the solar cell is based on conjugated polymers and a buckminsterfullerene derivative (PCBM), forming an interpenetrating donor-acceptor-network. The motivation for light trapping is the small absorptance of the photoactive polymer in the range of the solar spectrum and the limited thickness of the absorbing film. Integrated diffraction gratings offer the chance to increase the absorptance in a distinct range of the spectrum. The influence of the grating geometry on the absorption of the photoactive layer is simulated by calculations based on rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA), a method for describing the interaction between electromagnetic waves and diffractive structures. First experiments on the patterning of the diffraction grating are presented.
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