Method for treating a photovoltaic active layer and organic photovoltaic element
View Patent ↗The invention relates to an organically based photovoltaic element, in particular a solar cell comprising a photovoltaically active layer whose absorption maximum can be shifted into the longer wavelength region and/or whose efficiency can be increased.
1. A method for treating a photovoltaically active layer that includes a polymer comprising a polyalkylthiophene and a fullerene, the method comprising:
heating the photovoltaically active layer to a temperature of at least 70° C.
2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the fullerene comprises a methanofullerene.
3. The method as defined in either of claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaically active layer is exposed to a solvent vapor.
4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaically active layer is heated to a temperature of at least 80° C.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, after treating, said photovoltaically active layer has an absorption maximum in the deep red region.
6. The method as defined in claim 3 , wherein the photovoltaically active layer is exposed to the solvent vapor at room temperature.
7. The method as defined in claim 3 , wherein the photovoltaically active layer is exposed to the solvent vapor for no longer than one minute.
8. The method as defined in claim 3 , wherein the solvent comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of xylene, toluene, butanone, chloroform, and mixtures thereof.
9. A method of treating a photovoltaically active layer that includes a polymer comprising a polyalkylthiophene and a fullerene, the method comprising:
contacting the photovoltaically active layer with a solvent vapor.
10. The method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the fullerene is mixed with the polymer.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the photovoltaically active layer contacts the solvent vapor at room temperature.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the solvent comprises at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of xylene, toluene, butanone, chloroform and mixtures thereof.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the solvent at least partially etches or softens the polymer.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising heating the photovoltaically active layer.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein, after treating, the photovoltaically active layer has an absorption maximum in the deep red region.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fullerene comprises a methanofullerene.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the photovoltaically active layer contacts the solvent vapor for no longer than one minute.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the photovoltaically active layer is heated to a temperature of at least 70° C.
19. A method of treating a photovoltaically active layer that includes a polyalkylthiophene and a methanofullerene, comprising:
heating the photovoltaically active layer at a temperature of at least 70° C.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein, after treating, the photovoltaically active layer has an absorption maximum in the deep red region.