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Organic semiconducting layers are configured with certain nanosized features to enhance solar radiation absorption while maintaining the thickness of the layers within the order of one exciton diffusion length. The p-type and n-type semiconductors can be configured to form single p-n junctions, multiple separate junctions, or bulk heterojunctions. Nanofeatures can also be used on an exciton blocking layer surface formed from organic polymers. The photon processing device includes a conducting substrate or a metal bus line to transport the generated current. The substrate is transparent to certain wavelengths of the solar radiation and may include a textured surface with periodic nanosized features. The photo processing device may also have multiple n-p layers coupled to act as parallel p-n junctions. The device can be fabricated using nanoimprint and thermal evaporation techniques on flexible substrates.

Organic Based Solar Cell with Patterned Exciton Blocking Layer

Keywords:
Photon processing structures, organic-based solar cells, nanopatterned substrates, exciton blocking layer

Applications:
Organic solar cells, sensors, photon-emission devices, portable “off-grid” power generation sources

Problem:

Limit on the efficiencies of the conventional planar bilayer structure of organic-based solar cells

Poor coverage over the solar spectrum

Advantages:

Improvement in conversion efficiency by a factor of 2 or more

Enhancement in electronic transport characteristics

Ease of fabrication

Inventors:

Theodore M. Bloomstein (Lincoln Laboratory, MIT)

Professor Vladimir Bulovic (Department of Electric Engineering and Computer Science, MIT)

JRoderick R. Kurz (Lincoln Laboratory, MIT)

Theodore M. Lyszczarz (Lincoln Laboratory, MIT)

Intellectual Property:
U.S. Patent Application Number 12/566278, filed on September 24, 2009

Publications:
N/A

Organic Based Solar Cell with Patterned Exciton Blocking Layer

Keywords: Photon processing structures, organic-based solar cells, nanopatterned substrates, exciton blocking layer

Applications: Organic solar cells, sensors, photon-emission devices, portable “off-grid” power generation sources

Problem: Limit on the efficiencies of the conventional planar bilayer structure of organic-based solar cells Poor coverage over the solar spectrum

Advantages: Improvement in conversion efficiency by a factor of 2 or more Enhancement in electronic transport characteristics Ease of fabrication

Inventors: Theodore M. Bloomstein (Lincoln Laboratory, MIT) Professor Vladimir Bulovic (Department of Electric Engineering and Computer Science, MIT) JRoderick R. Kurz (Lincoln Laboratory, MIT) Theodore M. Lyszczarz (Lincoln Laboratory, MIT)

Intellectual Property: U.S. Patent Application Number 12/566278, filed on September 24, 2009

Publications: N/A