Simulation of polymer solar cell characteristics by amps-1d

Author

Lu Zhang, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

Spring 5-31-2012

Degree Name

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering - (M.S.)

Department

Committee for the Interdisciplinary Program in Materials Science and Engineering

First Advisor

N. M. Ravindra

Second Advisor

Michael Jaffe

Third Advisor

Tao Zhou

Abstract

Simulation of polymer solar cell characteristics is presented in this study. The solar cells are made of materials such as the following: Poly (3-hexylthiophene): [6, 6]-phenyl C61- butyric acid methylester (P3HT: PCBM) and poly[2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-4,7-diyl[4,4- bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl]]: [6, 6]-phenyl C₆₁- butyric acid methylester (PCPDTBT: PCBM) are used as active layer materials. Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures One Dimension (AMPS-1D) is a computer simulation tool for solar cell device characteristics. The first part of this study focuses on the performance and comparison of current-voltage (I-V) simulations of indium oxide (In₂O₃) and tin oxide (SnO₂) (ITO) and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) as transport layer. The other comparison is between single polymeric solar cell and tandem polymeric solar cells by current-voltage (I-V) simulations. Photovoltaic effect permits the conversion of sunlight to electrical energy by excitons. Excitons travel from highest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of conjugated polymer material to lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level of fullerene material. Exciton is regarded as a bound state of electron and hole.

Recommended Citation

Zhang, Lu, "Simulation of polymer solar cell characteristics by amps-1d" (2012). Theses. 148.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/148