While solution-processed bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs) continue to attract attention as their efficiencies approach 20%, the physical origin of the non-radiative energy loss in OSCs remains under debate. Understanding the temperature dependence of open-circuit voltage (VOC) is thus important because it provides unique insights into the origin of energy loss. Herein, we simulate the VOC vs T relation of PTB7-Th:PC71BM bulk-heterojunction OSCs within the range of 160–295 K by incorporating experimentally measured temperature-dependent mobilities into the drift-diffusion model, assuming bimolecular recombination as the primary recombination mechanism. Significantly, we find that the temperature dependence of VOC can only be correctly reproduced by the model when the temperature dependence of the carrier mobilities is taken into account. The effect of the Langevin reduction coefficient on the temperature dependence of VOC is also investigated.
REFERENCES
1.
A.
Karki
,
A. J.
Gillett
,
R. H.
Friend
, and
T. Q.
Nguyen
, “
The Path to 20% Power Conversion Efficiencies in Nonfullerene Acceptor Organic Solar Cells
,” Adv Energy Mater
11
, 2003441
(2021
).2.
J.
Luke
,
L.
Corrêa
,
J.
Rodrigues
,
J.
Martins
,
M.
Daboczi
,
D.
Bagnis
, and
J. S.
Kim
, “
A Commercial Benchmark: Light-Soaking Free, Fully Scalable, Large-Area Organic Solar Cells for Low-Light Applications
,” Adv Energy Mater
11
, 2003405
(2021
).3.
V. V.
Brus
,
N.
Schopp
,
S. J.
Ko
,
J.
Vollbrecht
,
J.
Lee
,
A.
Karki
,
G. C.
Bazan
, and
T. Q.
Nguyen
, “
Temperature and Light Modulated Open-Circuit Voltage in Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells with Different Effective Bandgaps
,” Adv Energy Mater
11
, 2003091
(2021
).4.
G.
Garcia-Belmonte
, “
Temperature dependence of open-circuit voltage in organic solar cells from generation–recombination kinetic balance
,” Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells
94
, 2166
–2169
(2010
).5.
W. J.
Grzegorczyk
,
T. J.
Savenije
,
T. E.
Dykstra
,
J.
Piris
,
J. M.
Schins
, and
L. D. A.
Siebbeles
, “
Temperature-Independent Charge Carrier Photogeneration in P3HT−PCBM Blends with Different Morphology
,” J. Phys. Chem. C
114
, 5182
–5186
(2010
).6.
Y.
Tang
,
J. M.
Bjuggren
,
Z.
Fei
,
M. R.
Andersson
,
M.
Heeney
, and
C. R.
McNeill
, “
Origin of Open-Circuit Voltage Turnover in Organic Solar Cells at Low Temperature
,” Sol. RRL
4
(11
), 2000375
(2020
).7.
F.
Gao
,
W.
Tress
,
J.
Wang
, and
O.
Inganäs
, “
Temperature dependence of charge carrier generation in organic photovoltaics
,” Phys. Rev. Lett.
114
, 128701
(2015
).8.
K.
Vandewal
,
K.
Tvingstedt
,
A.
Gadisa
,
O.
Inganäs
, and
J. V.
Manca
, “
Relating the open-circuit voltage to interface molecular properties of donor: Acceptor bulk heterojunction solar cells
,” Phys. Rev. B
81
, 125204
(2010
).9.
S. M.
Menke
,
N. A.
Ran
,
G. C.
Bazan
, and
R. H.
Friend
, “
Understanding Energy Loss in Organic Solar Cells: Toward a New Efficiency Regime
,” Joule
2
, 25
–35
(2018
).10.
S.
Xie
,
Y.
Xia
,
Z.
Zheng
,
X.
Zhang
,
J.
Yuan
,
H.
Zhou
, and
Y.
Zhang
, “
Effects of Nonradiative Losses at Charge Transfer States and Energetic Disorder on the Open-Circuit Voltage in Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells
,” Adv Funct Mater
28
(5
), 1705659
(2018
).11.
J. C.
Blakesley
and
D.
Neher
, “
Relationship between energetic disorder and open-circuit voltage in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells
,” Phys. Rev. B
84
, 075210
(2011
).12.
W.
Yang
,
Y.
Luo
,
P.
Guo
,
H.
Sun
, and
Y.
Yao
, “
Leakage Current Induced by Energetic Disorder in Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells: Comprehending the Ultrahigh Loss of Open-Circuit Voltage at Low Temperatures
,” Phys Rev Appl
7
, 044017
(2017
).13.
H. H.
Gullu
,
D. E.
Yıldız
,
S. O.
Hacioglu
,
A.
Cirpan
, and
L.
Toppare
, “
Dark conduction mechanisms of PTQBDT based heterojunction diode
,” Phys. Scr.
98
(1
), 015819
(2023
).14.
M.
Mingebach
,
C.
Deibel
, and
V.
Dyakonov
, “
Built-in potential and validity of the Mott-Schottky analysis in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells
,” Phys. Rev. B
84
, 153201
(2011
).15.
D.
Rauh
,
A.
Wagenpfahl
,
C.
Deibel
, and
V.
Dyakonov
, “
Relation of open circuit voltage to charge carrier density in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells
,” Appl Phys Lett
98
, 133301
(2011
).16.
Y.
Liu
,
K.
Zojer
,
B.
Lassen
,
J.
Kjelstrup-Hansen
,
H. G.
Rubahn
, and
M.
Madsen
, “
Role of the Charge-Transfer State in Reduced Langevin Recombination in Organic Solar Cells: A Theoretical Study
,” J. Phys. Chem. C
119
, 26588
–26597
(2015
).17.
Z.
Li
,
G.
Lakhwani
,
N. C.
Greenham
, and
C. R.
McNeill
, “
Voltage-dependent photocurrent transients of PTB7:PC70BM solar cells: Experiment and numerical simulation
,” J Appl Phys
114
, 034502
(2013
).18.
L. J. A.
Koster
,
V. D.
Mihailetchi
, and
P. W. M.
Blom
, “
Bimolecular recombination in polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells
,” Appl Phys Lett
88
, 052104
(2006
).19.
G.
Lakhwani
,
A.
Rao
, and
R. H.
Friend
, “
Bimolecular recombination in organic photovoltaics
,” Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem.
65
, 557
–581
(2014
).20.
P.
Zalar
,
M.
Kuik
,
N. A.
Ran
,
J. A.
Love
,
T.-Q.
Nguyen
,
P.
Zalar
,
M.
Kuik
,
N. A.
Ran
,
J. A.
Love
, and
T.-Q.
Nguyen
, “
Effects of Processing Conditions on the Recombination Reduction in Small Molecule Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells
,” Adv Energy Mater
4
, 1400438
(2014
).21.
G. J. A. H.
Wetzelaer
,
N. J.
Van Der Kaap
,
J. A.
Koster
, and
P. W. M.
Blom
, “
Quantifying Bimolecular Recombination in Organic Solar Cells in Steady State
,” Adv Energy Mater
3
, 1130
–1134
(2013
).22.
C. R.
McNeill
,
S.
Westenhoff
,
C.
Groves
,
R. H.
Friend
, and
N. C.
Greenham
, “
Influence of nanoscale phase separation on the charge generation dynamics and photovoltaic performance of conjugated polymer blends: Balancing charge generation and separation
,” J. Phys. Chem. C
111
, 19153
–19160
(2007
).23.
P.
Blom
,
M.
de Jong
, and
M.
van Munster
, “
Electric-field and temperature dependence of the hole mobility in poly(p-phenylene vinylene)
,” Phys. Rev. B
55
, R656
(1997
).24.
N. I.
Craciun
,
J.
Wildeman
, and
P. W. M.
Blom
, “
Universal Arrhenius temperature activated charge transport in diodes from disordered organic semiconductors
,” Phys. Rev. Lett.
100
, 056601
(2008
).25.
N.
Felekidis
,
A.
Melianas
, and
M.
Kemerink
, “
Automated open-source software for charge transport analysis in single-carrier organic semiconductor diodes
,” Org Electron
61
(March
), 318
–328
(2018
).26.
W. D.
Gill
, “
Drift mobilities in amorphous charge‐transfer complexes of trinitrofluorenone and poly‐n‐vinylcarbazole
,” J Appl Phys
43
(12
), 5033
(1972
).27.
J. C.
Blakesley
,
H. S.
Clubb
, and
N. C.
Greenham
, “
Temperature-dependent electron and hole transport in disordered semiconducting polymers: Analysis of energetic disorder
,” Phys. Rev. B
81
, 045210
(2010
).28.
M.
Kuik
,
G.-J. A. H.
Wetzelaer
,
H. T.
Nicolai
,
N. I.
Craciun
,
D. M.
De Leeuw
,
P. W. M.
Blom
,
N. I.
Craciun
,
D. M.
De Leeuw
,
W. M.
Blom
,
M.
Kuik
,
G.-J. A. H.
Wetzelaer
, and
H. T.
Nicolai
, “
25th Anniversary Article: Charge Transport and Recombination in Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes
,” Adv. Mater.
26
, 512
–531
(2014
).29.
R. P.
Fornari
,
P. W. M.
Blom
, and
A.
Troisi
, “
How Many Parameters Actually Affect the Mobility of Conjugated Polymers?
,” Phys. Rev. Lett.
118
, 086601
(2017
).30.
L. J. A.
Koster
,
E. C. P.
Smits
,
V. D.
Mihailetchi
, and
P. W. M.
Blom
, “
Device model for the operation of polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells
,” Phys. Rev. B
72
, 085205
(2005
).31.
Y.
Wu
,
Y.
Li
,
B.
van der Zee
,
W.
Liu
,
A.
Markina
,
H.
Fan
,
H.
Yang
,
C.
Cui
,
Y.
Li
,
P. W. M.
Blom
,
D.
Andrienko
, and
G. J. A. H.
Wetzelaer
, “
Reduced bimolecular charge recombination in efficient organic solar cells comprising non-fullerene acceptors
,” Sci. Rep.
13
, 4717
(2023
).32.
L.
Perdigón-Toro
,
L. Q.
Phuong
,
F.
Eller
,
G.
Freychet
,
E.
Saglamkaya
,
J. I.
Khan
,
Q.
Wei
,
S.
Zeiske
,
D.
Kroh
,
S.
Wedler
,
A.
Köhler
,
A.
Armin
,
F.
Laquai
,
E. M.
Herzig
,
Y.
Zou
,
S.
Shoaee
, and
D.
Neher
, “
Understanding the Role of Order in Y-Series Non-Fullerene Solar Cells to Realize High Open-Circuit Voltages
,” Adv Energy Mater
12
, 2103422
(2022
).33.
C. C. S.
Chan
,
C.
Ma
,
X.
Zou
,
Z.
Xing
,
G.
Zhang
,
H.-L.
Yip
,
R. A.
Taylor
,
Y.
He
,
K. S.
Wong
, and
P. C. Y.
Chow
, “
Quantification of Temperature-Dependent Charge Separation and Recombination Dynamics in Non-Fullerene Organic Photovoltaics
,” Adv Funct Mater
31
, 2107157
(2021
).© 2023 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.
2023
Author(s)
You do not currently have access to this content.
