Lateral Organic Solar Cells with Self-Assembled Semiconductor Nanowires

Abstract

Solution-processable organic semiconductor nanowires (NWs) offer a potentially powerful strategy for producing large-area printed flexible devices. Here, the fabrication of lateral organic solar cells (LOSC) using solution-processed organic NW blends on a flexible substrate to produce a power source for use in flexible integrated microelectronics is reported. A high photocarrier generation and an efficient charge sweep out are achieved by incorporating 1D self-assembled poly(3-hexylthiophene) NWs into the active layer, and an MoO3 interfacial layer with high work function is introduced to increase the built-in potential. These structures significantly increase the carrier diffusion/drift length and overall generated photocurrent in the channel. The utility of the LOSCs for high power source applications is demonstrated by using interdigitated electrode patterns that consist of multiple devices connected in parallel or in series. High photovoltage-producing LOSC modules on plastic substrates for use in flexible optoelectronic devices are successfully fabricated. The LOSCs described here offer a new device architecture for use in highly flexible photoresponsive energy devices.