Mohamed Okil Shawky Abdel-Wahab
Lecturer
Optimizing Transport Carrier Free All-Polymer Solar Cells for Indoor Applications: TCAD Simulation under White LED Illumination
Polymers • 2024
Publication Information
Authors
Marwa S. Salem; Mohamed Okil; Ahmed Shaker; Mohamed Abouelatta; Arwa N. Aledaily; Kawther A. Al-Dhlan; Mohammad T. Alshammari; Mostafa M. Salah; Mona El Sabbagh
Keywords
all-polymer; solar cells; indoor; LED; power conversion efficiency
Journal
Polymers
Publisher
MDPI
Volume
16
Issue
10
Pages
1412
publication.type
International
Paper Link
Open Link
Supplementary Materials
Not Available
Abstract
This work inspects the utilization of all-polymer solar cells (APSCs) in indoor applications
under LED illumination, with a focus on boosting efficiency through simulation-based design. The
study employs a SCAPS TCAD device simulator to investigate the performance of APSCs under
white LED illumination at 1000 lux, with a power density of 0.305 mW/cm2. Initially, the simulator
is validated against experimental results obtained from a fabricated cell utilizing CD1:PBN-21 as
an absorber blend and PEDOT:PSS as a hole transportation layer (HTL), where the initial measured
efficiency is 16.75%. The simulation study includes an examination of both inverted and conventional
cell structures. In the conventional structure, where no electron transportation layer (ETL) is present,
various materials are evaluated for their suitability as the HTL. NiO emerges as the most promising
HTL material, demonstrating the potential to achieve an efficiency exceeding 27%. Conversely, in
the inverted configuration without an HTL, the study explores different ETL materials to engineer
the band alignment at the interface. Among the materials investigated, ZnS emerges as the optimal
choice, recording an efficiency of approximately 33%. In order to reveal the efficiency limitations
of these devices, the interface and bulk defects are concurrently investigated. The findings of this
study underscore the significance of careful material selection and structural design in optimizing
the performance of APSCs for indoor applications.
under LED illumination, with a focus on boosting efficiency through simulation-based design. The
study employs a SCAPS TCAD device simulator to investigate the performance of APSCs under
white LED illumination at 1000 lux, with a power density of 0.305 mW/cm2. Initially, the simulator
is validated against experimental results obtained from a fabricated cell utilizing CD1:PBN-21 as
an absorber blend and PEDOT:PSS as a hole transportation layer (HTL), where the initial measured
efficiency is 16.75%. The simulation study includes an examination of both inverted and conventional
cell structures. In the conventional structure, where no electron transportation layer (ETL) is present,
various materials are evaluated for their suitability as the HTL. NiO emerges as the most promising
HTL material, demonstrating the potential to achieve an efficiency exceeding 27%. Conversely, in
the inverted configuration without an HTL, the study explores different ETL materials to engineer
the band alignment at the interface. Among the materials investigated, ZnS emerges as the optimal
choice, recording an efficiency of approximately 33%. In order to reveal the efficiency limitations
of these devices, the interface and bulk defects are concurrently investigated. The findings of this
study underscore the significance of careful material selection and structural design in optimizing
the performance of APSCs for indoor applications.
