Abstract
Advances in materials design and device engineering led to inverted organic solar cells (i-OSCs) with superior power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) to their “conventional” counterparts, in addition to the well-known better ambient stability. Despite the significant progress, however, it has so far been unclear how the morphologies of the photoactive layer and its interface with the cathode modifying layer impact device performance. Here, we report an in-depth morphology study of the i-OSC active and cathode modifying layers, employing a model system with the well-established bulk-heterojunction, PTB7:PC71BM as the active layer and poly-[(9,9-bis(3′-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)] (PFN) as the cathode surface modifying layer. We have also identified the role of a processing additive, 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO), used in the spin-casting of the active layer to increase PCE. Using a variety of characterization techniques, we demonstrate that the high PCEs of i-OSCs are due to the smearing (diffusion) of electron-accepting PC71BM into the PFN layer, resulting in improved electron transport. The PC71BM diffusion occurs after spin-casting the active layer onto the PFN layer, when residual solvent molecules act as a plasticizer. The DIO additive, with a higher boiling point than the host solvent, has a longer residence time in the spin-cast active layer, resulting in more PC71BM smearing and therefore more efficient electron transport. This work provides important insight and guidance to further enhancement of i-OSC performance by materials and interface engineering.
