Si-nanocrystal/P3HT hybrid films with a 50- and 12-fold enhancement of hole mobility and density: films prepared by successive drop casting.

Hybrid silicon nanocrystal (Si-NC)/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films serve as the active layers of quantum dot/polymer hybrid photovoltaics. To achieve effective photovoltaic properties, it is necessary to enhance the charge carrier mobility and carrier density of the P3HT films. A 50- and 12-fold enhancement of the hole mobility and hole density, respectively, was achieved along the out-of-plane direction of a Si-NC/P3HT hybrid film, which corresponds to the carrier-migration direction between the photovoltaic electrodes. According to time-of-flight, electronic absorption, Raman, atomic force microscopy, photoluminescence lifetime, and X-ray diffraction measurements, the significant enhancement of the mobility and density was attributed to both an increase in the P3HT crystallinity and the dissociation efficiency of P3HT excitons on the addition of Si-NCs to the P3HT films. These enhancements were achieved using a film preparation method developed in the present study, which has been named successive drop casting.