title: Investigation of the Potential Distribution within Organic Solar Cells by Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy
creator: Saive, Rebecca
subject: 000
subject: 000 Generalities, Science
subject: 530
subject: 530 Physics
description: In this work the potential distribution within organic solar cells was investigated. Using a focused ion beam micrometer sized holes were milled into the cells such that the cross sections became accessible by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM). SKPM measurements were performed on Poly(3-hexylthiophen) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) solar cells under illumination and under different bias voltages. In a bilayer solar cell the applied bias voltage drops at the interface between P3HT and anode and within the organic layer. In a bulk heterojunction solar cell the potential drops at the interface between P3HT and the anode and at the interface between the PCBM and cathode. In solar cells which were inverted due to altered contact materials there is no potential drop at the contacts, but the potential uniformly  drops within the organic material. It can be concluded that an inverted device structure is more favorable for this morphology of the bulk heterojunction. The open circuit voltage exhibited a similar distribution within the device as an external applied bias voltage. Furthermore, SKPM measurements were performed on solar cells with S-shaped current-voltage characteristics. It was mapped that the S-shape behavior results from a transport barrier at the cathode interface.
date: 2014
type: Dissertation
type: info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserverhttps://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/16260/1/Dissertation_RebeccaSaive.pdf
identifier: DOI:10.11588/heidok.00016260
identifier: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-162605
identifier:   Saive, Rebecca  (2014) Investigation of the Potential Distribution within Organic Solar Cells by Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy.  [Dissertation]     
relation: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/16260/
rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/help/license_urhg.html
language: eng