JP2016154270A - Organic thin-film solar cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an organic thin-film solar cell capable of improving durability.SOLUTION: An organic thin-film solar cell 1 comprises: a substrate 10; a first electrode layer 11 that is disposed on the substrate; a first organic active layer 14 that is disposed on the first electrode layer and formed by electrically connecting with the first electrode layer; a second electrode layer 16 which includes a surface and a first sidewall part connecting the surface with a surface of the first organic active layer, covers at least a part of the surface of the first organic active layer, in which the first sidewall part is disposed inside of a first end portion of the first organic active layer, and which is formed by electrically connecting to the first organic active layer; and a first insulation layer 24 which covers the first sidewall part continuously from the surface of the second electrode layer, extends to a part of the surface of the first organic active layer and is formed so as to adhere to the first organic active layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to an organic thin film solar cell, and more particularly to an organic thin film solar cell with improved durability.

  In organic thin-film solar cells, by applying a fine pattern to the surface of the organic active layer or electrode, the incident light is effectively confined inside the organic active layer, the current collection effect is enhanced, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency is improved. Yes.

  In a conventional organic thin film solar cell using surface plasmon resonance, silver (Ag) or gold (Au) nanoparticle whose particle size is controlled by organic synthesis at the p-type / n-type organic layer interface or the organic layer / electrode interface. Particles modified with an alkyl group or a thiol group in order to promote dispersion were used in a solution state and applied on the respective interfaces by spin coating (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  Organic thin-film solar cells are characterized by ultrathinness, light weight, and flexibility, and can be formed under conditions of room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Therefore, manufacturing costs can be reduced, and they are attracting attention as inexpensive solar cells.

JP 2009-246025 A

  On the other hand, the organic thin film solar cell has a problem that its durability is extremely low as compared with other types of solar cells.

  The deterioration of the organic thin film solar cell is mainly caused by moisture and oxygen in the atmosphere. That is, moisture and oxygen easily penetrate into the organic layer constituting the power generation layer, oxidize the organic layer and the electrode to lower the power generation function, and deteriorate the organic thin film solar cell.

  That is, conventionally, an organic thin film solar cell is produced by, for example, laminating an organic layer of several hundreds nm as a power generation layer on a glass substrate with ITO and depositing a metal such as aluminum. Pure aluminum formed as an electrode has the property of being easily oxidized, so an inorganic passivation film (surface protective film) such as SiN or SiON is laminated or the element is covered with engraved glass filled with a desiccant and sealed. The technique of performing was used.

  However, wet organic thin-film solar cells that use an organic layer as a power generation layer in a solution process form the power generation layer at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, so moisture and oxygen that cause degradation are easily generated inside the power generation layer. In other words, the moisture and oxygen oxidize the metal electrode and reduce the durability of the device.

  The objective of this invention is providing the organic thin-film solar cell which can improve durability.

  According to one aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, a substrate, a first electrode layer disposed on the substrate, a first electrode layer disposed on the first electrode layer, and the first electrode layer electrically A first organic active layer formed to be connected to the surface, a surface, and a first side wall portion connecting the surface and the surface of the first organic active layer, the first organic activity Covering at least a part of the surface of the layer and the first side wall portion being disposed inside the first end portion of the first organic active layer to be electrically connected to the first organic active layer The second electrode layer formed and extending from the surface of the second electrode layer to a part of the surface of the first organic active layer so as to continuously cover the first side wall portion. And an organic thin-film solar cell comprising a first insulating layer formed in close contact with the first organic active layer.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the organic thin film solar cell which can improve durability can be provided.

The schematic diagram explaining the fundamental structure and operation | movement of the organic thin-film solar cell which concern on embodiment. The energy band structure figure of the various materials of the organic thin film solar cell shown by FIG. (A) Chemical structural formula of PEDOT and (b) Chemical structural formula of PSS applied in the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment. (A) Chemical structural formula of P3HT as a p-type material and (b) Chemical structural formula of PCBM as an n-type material, which are applied to the organic thin film solar cell according to the embodiment. In the organic thin-film solar cell according to the embodiment, the chemical structural formula of the material used in vacuum deposition includes (a) Pc: example of phthalocyanine, (b) ZnPc: example of zinc phthalocyanine, (c) Me-Ptcdi (D) Example of C ₆₀ : fullerene. In the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment, it is a chemical structural formula of the material used by a solution process, Comprising: (a) Example of MDMO-PPV, (b) Example of PFB, (c) CN-MDMO-PPV Examples: (d) PFO-DBT example, (e) F8BT example, (f) PCDTBT example, (g) PC ₆₀ BM example, (h) PC ₇₀ BM example. The typical cross-section figure of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment. The graph which shows the time-dependent change of the element characteristic of the organic thin film solar cell (with oxidation process) which concerns on embodiment, and the organic thin film solar cell (without oxidation process) which concerns on a comparative example. The graph which shows the time-dependent change of the module photoelectric conversion characteristic in the 60 degreeC environmental test of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment. The graph which shows the time-dependent change of the module photoelectric conversion characteristic in the 85 degreeC / 85% RH environmental test of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment. The top view and sectional drawing which are the processes of the manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell concerning embodiment, and show the state which formed the transparent electrode layer on the board | substrate. The top view and sectional drawing which are one process of the manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell concerning embodiment, and show the state which formed the positive hole transport layer on the transparent electrode layer. The top view and typical sectional drawing which are one process of the manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment, and show the state which formed the bulk heterojunction organic active layer on the positive hole transport layer. The top view and typical sectional drawing which are the 1st processes of the manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell concerning embodiment, and show the state which formed the 2nd electrode layer on the bulk heterojunction organic active layer. The top view and typical sectional drawing which are the 1st processes of the manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell concerning embodiment, and show the state which formed the passive film in the surface of the 2nd electrode layer. The top view and typical sectional drawing which are 1 process of the manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment, and show the state sealed with sealing glass and the sealing material. In the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment, the typical plane pattern figure which shows the example arrange | positioned by connecting seven cells in series. FIG. 18A is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram taken along the line II of FIG. 17, and FIG. 18B is an equivalent circuit configuration diagram corresponding to FIG. The flowchart which shows the preparation procedure of the organic thin film solar cell which concerns on embodiment. Schematic which shows the high-density plasma etching apparatus used when forming the oxide film in the surface of a 2nd electrode layer in preparation of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment. The external view of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment. The typical bird's-eye view structure figure which is one process of the mass production manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment, and shows the state which formed the stripe pattern of the transparent electrode layer on the board | substrate. The typical bird's-eye view structure figure which is one process of the mass-production manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment, and shows the state which formed the positive hole transport layer by the spin coat on the stripe-shaped transparent electrode layer. The typical bird's-eye view structure figure which is one process of the mass production manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment, and shows the state which formed the bulk heterojunction organic active layer on the positive hole transport layer by spin coating. A process for mass production of organic thin-film solar cells according to an embodiment, wherein a stripe pattern of the second electrode layer is formed on the bulk heterojunction organic active layer so as to be orthogonal to the stripe-shaped transparent electrode layer The typical bird's-eye view block diagram which shows a state. In the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment, the typical plane pattern block diagram which shows the example which has arrange | positioned several cell Cij in matrix form. In the method for manufacturing an organic thin-film solar cell according to the embodiment, (a) a schematic view showing a spin coating method when forming a hole transport layer and a bulk heterojunction organic active layer, (b) formed holes The typical bird's-eye view block diagram which shows the example of a transport layer and a bulk heterojunction organic active layer. It is a manufacturing method of the organic thin-film solar cell concerning embodiment, Comprising: The schematic diagram which shows the state which forms a positive hole transport layer and a bulk heterojunction organic active layer with the inkjet printing method. The schematic diagram which is one process of the manufacturing process of the organic thin-film solar cell which concerns on embodiment, and shows the state which forms a positive hole transport layer and a bulk heterojunction organic active layer by the gravure printing using the roll-to-roll method.

  Next, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between the thickness and the planar dimensions, the ratio of the thickness of each layer, and the like are different from the actual ones. Therefore, specific thicknesses and dimensions should be determined in consideration of the following description. Moreover, it is a matter of course that portions having different dimensional relationships and ratios are included between the drawings.

  Further, the embodiments described below exemplify apparatuses and methods for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention include the material, shape, structure, The layout is not specified as follows. Various modifications can be made to the embodiment of the present invention within the scope of the claims.

  In the organic thin film solar cell according to the following embodiments, “transparent” is defined as having a transmittance of about 50% or more. Further, “transparent” is also used to mean colorless and transparent with respect to visible light in the organic thin film solar cell according to the embodiment. Visible light corresponds to a wavelength of about 360 nm to 830 nm and an energy of about 3.45 eV to 1.49 eV, and is transparent if the transmittance is 50% or more in this region.

  A schematic diagram for explaining the operating principle of the organic thin film solar cell 1a is represented as shown in FIG. Moreover, the energy band structure of the various materials of the organic thin film solar cell 1a shown in FIG. 1 is expressed as shown in FIG. With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the principle structure and operation | movement of the organic thin-film solar cell 1a which concern on embodiment are demonstrated.

  As shown in the left figure of FIG. 1, the organic thin film solar cell 1a includes a substrate 10, a transparent electrode layer 11 disposed on the substrate 10, a hole transport layer 12 disposed on the transparent electrode layer 11, A bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 disposed on the hole transport layer 12 and a second electrode layer 16 disposed on the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 are provided. The second electrode layer 16 is made of Al and serves as a cathode electrode layer.

Here, the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 includes a p-type organic active layer region and an n-type organic active layer region mixed as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 1 to form a complex bulk hetero pn junction. ing. Here, the p-type organic active layer region is formed of, for example, P3HT, and the n-type organic active layer region is formed of, for example, PCBM.
(A) First, when light is absorbed, excitons are generated in the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14.
(B) Next, excitons dissociate into free carriers of electrons (e−) and holes (h +) by spontaneous polarization at the pn junction interface in the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14.
(C) Next, the dissociated holes (h +) travel toward the transparent electrode layer 11 serving as the anode electrode, and the dissociated electrons (e−) travel toward the cathode electrode layer 16.
(D) As a result, a reverse current is conducted between the cathode electrode layer 16 and the transparent electrode layer 11 to generate an open circuit voltage Voc, whereby an organic thin film solar cell is obtained.

  In PEDOT: PSS applied to the hole transport layer 12 in the organic thin film solar cell, the chemical structural formula of PDOT is expressed as shown in FIG. 3A, and the chemical structural formula of PSS is shown in FIG. ).

  In the organic thin film solar cell, the chemical structural formula of P3HT (poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5diyl)) applied to the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 is expressed as shown in FIG. The chemical structural formula of PCBM (6,6-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester) applied to the active layer 14 is represented as shown in FIG.

Examples of chemical structural formulas of materials used in vacuum deposition in organic thin film solar cells are as follows. That is, an example of phthalocyanine (Pc) is expressed as shown in FIG. 5A, and an example of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc: Zinc-phthalocyanine) is expressed as shown in FIG. An example of -Ptcdi (N, N'-dimethyl perylene-3,4,9,10-dicarboximide) is represented as shown in FIG. 5C, and an example of fullerene (C ₆₀ : Buckminster fullerene) It is expressed as shown in 5 (d).

  Examples of chemical structural formulas of materials used in the solution process in the organic thin film solar cell are as follows. That is, an example of MDMO-PPV (poly [2-methoxy-5- (3,7-dimethyl octyloxy)]-1,4-phenylene vinylene) is expressed as shown in FIG. An example of PFB (poly (9,9'-dioctylfluorene-co-bis-N, N '-(4-butylphenyl) -bis-N, N'-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine) is shown in FIG. 6 (b). An example of CN-MDMO-PPV (poly- [2-methoxy-5- (2'-ethylhexyloxy) -1,4- (1-cyanovinylene) -phenylene]) is shown in FIG. c) PFO-DBT (poly [2,7- (9,9-dioctyl-fluorene) -alt-5,5- (4,7'-di-2-thienyl-2 ') , 1 ′, 3′-benzothiadiazole)]) is represented as shown in FIG.

  An example of F8BT (poly (9,9′-dioctyl fluoreneco-benzothiadiazole)) is represented as shown in FIG. An example of carbazole-alt-5,5- (4 ′, 7′-di-thienyl-2′1 ′, 3′-b3nzothiadizaole)]) is represented as shown in FIG.

An example of PC ₆₀ BM (6,6-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester) is represented as shown in FIG. 6 (g), and PC ₇₀ BM (6,6-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester). An example of ester) is represented as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the organic thin-film solar cell 1 according to the embodiment is disposed on a substrate 10, a transparent electrode layer (first electrode layer) 11 disposed on the substrate 10, and the first electrode layer 11. A hole transport layer 12, a bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 disposed on the hole transport layer 12, a cathode electrode layer (second electrode layer) 16 disposed on the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14, And a passive film 24 disposed on the surface of the second electrode layer 16.

  The passive film 24 is composed of an oxide film of the second electrode layer 16.

  The oxide film of the second electrode layer 16 can be formed by performing oxygen plasma treatment on the surface of the second electrode layer 16.

  The thickness of the passivation film is, for example, about 10 angstroms to about 100 angstroms.

  The second electrode layer may be made of any one of Al, W, Mo, Mn, and Mg.

  Furthermore, the whole can be sealed by a sealing layer provided with a desiccant on the inner wall surface.

  Moreover, it can also be set as the structure which connected the cell which consists of the organic thin-film solar cell 1 in series.

  Since the organic thin-film solar cell 1 includes the passive film 24 on the surface of the second electrode layer 16, even if moisture or oxygen enters the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14, the second electrode layer 16 is not Oxidation due to moisture and oxygen can be prevented. Thereby, deterioration of an organic solar cell can be suppressed and durability can be improved.

  FIG. 8 is a graph showing temporal changes in the element characteristics of the organic thin film solar cell 1 (with oxidation treatment) according to the embodiment and the organic thin film solar cell 1a (without oxidation treatment) according to the comparative example. In FIG. 8, the vertical axis represents normalized photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE), and the horizontal axis represents time (day).

  As can be seen from the graph of FIG. 8, the power generation efficiency is zero in about 17 days when there is no oxidation treatment. On the other hand, in the case of oxidation treatment, the initial power generation efficiency is maintained even after about 280 days. Thus, the durability of the organic thin-film solar cell 1 according to the embodiment in which the passive film 24 is formed on the surface of the second electrode layer 16 is remarkably improved.

  Moreover, about the organic thin-film solar cell 1 which concerns on embodiment, when an environmental test was implemented on various temperature / humidity conditions, it was confirmed by a fixed environmental test (for example, 25 degreeC and 60 degreeC) that it shows high durability. It was.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing the change over time of the module photoelectric conversion characteristics in the 60 ° C. environmental test of the organic thin-film solar cell 1 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 9, the vertical axis represents normalized photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE), and the horizontal axis represents time (hour). As a light source, a fluorescent lamp of 800 lux (0.100 mW / cm ² ) was used.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the organic thin film solar cell 1 is stored in an environment of 60 ° C., 99% of the characteristic after stabilization is maintained after 4512 hours.

FIG. 10: shows the graph which shows the time-dependent change of the module photoelectric conversion characteristic in the 85 degreeC / 85% RH environmental test of the organic thin film solar cell 1 which concerns on embodiment. In FIG. 10, the vertical axis represents normalized photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE), and the horizontal axis represents time (hour). As a light source, a 1000 lux (0.106 mW / cm ² ) fluorescent lamp was used.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when the organic thin film solar cell 1 is stored in an environment of 85 ° C./85% RH, it decreases by about 43% from the characteristic after stabilization after 2400 hours.

(Production method)
With reference to FIGS. 11-16, the manufacturing method of the organic thin-film solar cell 1 which concerns on embodiment is demonstrated.

  The manufacturing method of the organic thin-film solar cell 1 according to the embodiment includes a step of preparing the substrate 10, a step of forming the first electrode layer 11 on the substrate 10, and a hole transport layer 12 on the first electrode layer 11. A step of forming a bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 on the hole transport layer 12, a step of forming the second electrode layer 16 on the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14, Forming a passive film 24 on the surface.

  The step of forming the second electrode layer 16 includes a step of depositing any metal such as Al, W, Mo, Mn, and Mg on the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14.

Further, the step of forming the passive film 24 includes a step of performing oxygen plasma treatment on the second electrode layer 16.
(A) First, a glass substrate 10 (for example, length of about 50 mm × width of about 50 mm × thickness of about 10.4 mm) washed with pure water, acetone, and ethanol is placed in an ICP etcher, and the surface of the glass substrate 10 is washed with O ₂ plasma. Remove deposits (glass substrate surface treatment). In addition, in order to form the board | substrate 10 with a glass substrate and to guide | invade light to an organic active layer efficiently, you may implement an antireflection process on the glass surface.
(B) Next, as shown in FIG. 11, a transparent electrode layer 11 made of, for example, ITO is formed on the glass substrate 10. As shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of transparent electrode layers 11 are formed in a stripe pattern with a groove portion interposed therebetween. An oxygen plasma etching technique, a laser patterning technique, a nanoimprint technique, or the like can be applied to the formation of the groove.
(C) Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the hole transport layer 12 is formed on each transparent electrode layer 11. For the formation of the hole transport layer 12, a spin coating technique, a spray technique, a screen printing technique, or the like can be applied. Here, in the step of forming the hole transport layer 12, for example, PEDOT: PSS is formed by spin coating, and annealing is performed at 120 ° C. for about 10 minutes to remove moisture. An oxygen plasma etching technique, a laser patterning technique, a nanoimprint technique, or the like can be applied to the formation of the groove.
(D) Next, as shown in FIG. 13, a bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 is formed on each hole transport layer 12. In the formation process of the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14, for example, P3HT is formed by spin coating.
(E) Next, as shown in FIG. 14, a cathode electrode layer 16 is formed on each bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14. The cathode electrode layer 16 is formed, for example, by depositing a metal layer such as Al, W, Mo, Mn, and Mg by a vacuum heating vapor deposition method. A screen printing technique may be applied instead of the vacuum heating deposition method.
(F) Next, as shown in FIG. 15, after the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 and the hole transport layer 12 are etched, an oxide film (passive film) 24 is formed on the surface of the cathode electrode layer 16. Each cell can be separated by etching the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 and the hole transport layer 12. The passive film 24 can be formed by subjecting the second electrode layer 16 to oxygen plasma treatment. The passive film 24 can be formed using, for example, a high-density plasma etching apparatus.
(G) Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the entire element is sealed with a sealing glass (cover glass) 40 and a sealing material 41. The sealing material 41 is composed of an epoxy resin, a light curable resin, or the like. Note that the glass sealing step is preferably performed in a nitrogen atmosphere in order to prevent deterioration due to moisture and oxygen in the air. Further, a desiccant may be provided on the inner wall surface of the sealing glass 40 to further eliminate the influence of moisture and oxygen.

  Through the above steps, the organic thin-film solar cell 1 according to the embodiment can be obtained.

(Example of series connection)
In the organic thin film solar cell 1 according to the embodiment, a schematic planar pattern configuration in which seven cells are connected in series is expressed as shown in FIG. Further, a schematic cross-sectional structure taken along line II in FIG. 17 is represented as shown in FIG. 18A, and an equivalent circuit configuration corresponding to FIG. 18A is as shown in FIG. It is expressed in

  Each cell includes a substrate 10, an anode electrode layer 11 disposed on the substrate 10, a hole transport layer 12 disposed on the anode electrode layer 11, and a bulk heterojunction organic disposed on the hole transport layer 12. An active layer 14 and a cathode electrode layer 16 disposed on the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 are provided. Further, the entire seven cells are hollow-sealed by the sealing layer 40. A desiccant 42 is disposed on the inner wall surface of the sealing layer 40. Although not shown, a passive film is formed on the surface of the cathode electrode layer 16.

  As is apparent from FIG. 18A, the cathode electrode layer 16 (K1) is connected to the anode electrode layer 11 (A2) at the cell periphery, and similarly, the cathode electrode layer 16 (K2) is the anode electrode layer. 11 (A3) is connected to the cell periphery, and the cathode electrode layer 16 (K6) is connected to the anode electrode layer 11 (A7) at the cell periphery. As a result, a structure in which seven organic thin film solar cells are connected in series is obtained.

  Thus, by connecting a plurality of cells in series, a high open circuit voltage Voc as a sum of electromotive forces generated in each cell can be obtained with the same current value.

  FIG. 21 is an external view of the organic thin-film solar cell 1 in which seven cells are connected in series.

(Procedure for organic thin film solar cell)
Based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 19, the preparation procedure of the organic thin-film solar cell 1 which concerns on embodiment is demonstrated.
(A) In step S <b> 1, PEDOT: PSS is applied on the substrate 10. For example, the PEDOT: PSS aqueous solution is filtered with a 0.45 μm PTFE membrane filter to remove undissolved residues and impurities, and the PEDOT: PSS aqueous solution is applied onto the ITO substrate 10 and spin-coated (for example, 4000 rpm, 30 sec).
(B) In step S2, PEDOT: PSS is sintered. That is, after film formation, heat treatment is performed at 120 ° C. for 10 minutes to remove moisture. In addition, it is good to cover the petri dish previously warmed with the hot plate so that heat may be transmitted to the whole substrate 10.
(C) In step S3, P3HT: PCBM is applied. Specifically, for example, 16 mg of P3HT and 16 mg of PCBM are dissolved in dichlorobenzene (o-dichlorobenzen). The solution is stirred overnight at 50 ° C. in a nitrogen atmosphere and then sonicated at 50 ° C. for 1 minute. The solution is spin-coated on the ITO substrate 10 cleaned in a nitrogen-substituted glove box (<1 ppm O ₂ , H ₂ O). The number of rotations is, for example, 2000 rpm · 1 sec after 550 rpm · 60 sec.
(D) In step S4, pre-annealing is performed. That is, after the application in step S3, heating is performed at 120 ° C. for 10 minutes. In addition, it is good to cover the petri dish previously warmed with the hot plate so that heat may be transmitted to the whole substrate 10.
(E) In step S5, LiF vacuum deposition is performed. Specifically, LiF (purity: 99.98%) is subjected to vacuum heating vapor deposition at a degree of vacuum of 1.1 × 10 ⁻⁶ torr / deposition rate of 0.1 kg / sec.
(F) In step S6, the second electrode layer 16 is formed by performing Al vacuum deposition. Specifically, Al (purity: 99.999%) is subjected to vacuum heating deposition with a degree of vacuum: 1.1 × 10 ⁻⁶ torr and a deposition rate of ˜2Å / sec.
(G) In step S7, an electrode oxide film treatment is performed on the second electrode layer 16. Specifically, the oxide film 24 is formed by oxidizing the surface of the second electrode layer 16 with oxygen plasma using a high-density plasma etching apparatus as shown in FIG.
(H) In step S8, panel sealing is performed. Specifically, the panel is coated with a UV curable resin in a glove box, covered with an aluminum foil on the measurement site of the element, and exposed to, for example, about 10 minutes in a UV oven to completely seal the element.

(High density plasma etching equipment)
With reference to FIG. 20, the outline of the high-density plasma etching apparatus used when forming the oxide film 24 on the surface of the 2nd electrode layer 16 in preparation of the organic thin-film solar cell 1 which concerns on embodiment is demonstrated. .

  The high-density plasma etching apparatus includes a chamber 50 provided with an introduction port 56 for oxygen gas P and an exhaust port 58 for exhausting exhaust gas Q after reaction.

  In the chamber 50, the upper electrode 52 connected to the high frequency power supply V and the mounting base 54 of the organic thin film solar cell 1 are provided. A grounded lower electrode 53 is provided below the mounting table 54.

  And after mounting the organic thin film solar cell 1 which concerns on embodiment on the mounting base 54, while introducing oxygen gas P from the inlet 56 in the chamber 50, and operating the high frequency power supply V, An oxygen plasma R is generated above the mounting table 54.

  The processing conditions are, for example, oxygen gas flow rate: 100 sccm, high frequency power output: 300 W, bias: 5 W, voltage (Vpp): −4 V, processing time: 30 to 60 sec.

  Thereby, the surface of the 2nd electrode layer 16 of the organic thin film solar cell 1 is oxidized with the high oxidizing power which the oxygen plasma R has, and the passive film 24 is formed.

The merit of electrode oxidation by such oxygen plasma is as follows.
(1) Since it is not necessary to newly form a passivation film such as SiN, the oxide film 24 can be formed in a short time and at a low cost.
(2) Since impurities on the surface of the substrate 10 are removed by oxygen plasma, it is not necessary to perform a substrate cleaning process at the time of sealing.
(3) Since the impurities on the surface of the substrate 10 are removed by oxygen plasma, the adhesion between the substrate 10 and each layer is increased.
(4) Passivation of the surface of the second electrode layer 16 can suppress moisture and oxygen from entering the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14.

  Silver (Ag), which is often used as an electrode for organic thin film solar cells, forms silver oxide and tends to darken the surface, but Al is deposited on Ag, for example, about 30 nm, and oxygen plasma treatment is performed. As a result, darkening of the electrodes could be prevented.

(Mass production process)
As shown in FIGS. 22 to 26, the organic thin-film solar battery according to the embodiment can be manufactured by arranging a plurality of cells in a matrix and performing a mass production process.

Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIGS.
(A) First, a glass substrate 10 washed with pure water, acetone, and ethanol is placed in an ICP etcher, and surface deposits are removed by O ₂ plasma (glass substrate surface treatment). In order to efficiently guide light to the organic active layer, an antireflection treatment may be performed on the surface of the glass substrate 10.
(B) Next, as shown in FIG. 22, the transparent electrode layer 11 made of, for example, ITO is formed on the glass substrate 10. In the example shown in FIG. 22, the transparent electrode layer 11 is formed in two stripe patterns with a gap therebetween. For forming the gap, an oxygen plasma etching technique, a laser patterning technique, a nanoimprint technique, or the like can be applied.
(C) Next, as shown in FIG. 23, the hole transport layer 12 is formed on the glass substrate 10 and the transparent electrode layer 11. For the formation of the hole transport layer 12, a spin coating technique, a spray technique, a screen printing technique, or the like can be applied. Here, in the step of forming the hole transport layer 12, for example, PEDOT: PSS is formed by spin coating, and annealing is performed at 120 ° C. for about 10 minutes to remove moisture.
(D) Next, as shown in FIG. 24, a bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 is formed on the hole transport layer 12. In the formation process of the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14, for example, P3HT: PCBM is formed by spin coating. The thickness of the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 is, for example, 100 to 200 nm.
(E) Next, as shown in FIG. 25, two stripe pattern cathode electrode layers 16 are formed on the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 so as to be orthogonal to the transparent electrode layer 11.

The cathode electrode layer 16 is formed, for example, by depositing Al, W, Mo, Mn, Mg, or the like by a vacuum heating vapor deposition method. A screen printing technique may be applied instead of the vacuum heating deposition method.
(F) Next, although not shown, an oxide film (passive film) is formed on the surface of the cathode electrode layer 16. The passive film can be formed by exposing the cathode electrode layer 16 to oxygen plasma. Formation of the oxide film by oxygen plasma can be performed using, for example, the above-described high-density plasma etching apparatus.
(G) Next, the entire element is sealed with a sealing glass (cover glass) and a sealing material. The sealing material is made of an epoxy resin, a light curable resin, or the like. Note that the glass sealing step is preferably performed in a nitrogen atmosphere in order to prevent deterioration due to moisture and oxygen in the air.

  Through the above steps, the organic thin-film solar cell 1 according to the embodiment can be mass-produced.

In the organic thin-film solar cell according to the embodiment, a schematic planar pattern configuration example in which a plurality of cells C _ij are arranged in a matrix is expressed as shown in FIG. An anode electrode pattern formed by the anode electrode layer 11, A _j , A _{j + 1} ,..., And an anode electrode pattern..., A _j , A _{j + 1} ,. Cells... C _ij are arranged at the intersections of the cathode electrode patterns..., K _i−1 , K _i , K _{i + 1 ,.} By selecting the anode electrode pattern ..., A _j , A _{j + 1} , ... and the cathode electrode pattern ..., K _i-1 , K _i , K _{i + 1} , ..., cells arranged at the intersections ... C It is also possible to separately measure the characteristics of _ij .

(Spin coating method)
For example, in the organic thin film solar cell 1 according to the embodiment, when a device having a relatively small area is formed, a spin coating method as shown in FIG. 27A can be applied.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 27A, a spin coater including a spindle 62 that can be rotated at a high speed and connected to a drive source such as a motor, and a table 63 that is fixed to the spindle 62 and on which the substrate 10 is placed is used. It is done.

  Then, the substrate 10 is placed on the table 63, a driving source such as a motor is operated, and the table 63 is rotated at a high speed in the directions of arrows A and B, for example, at 2000 to 4000 rpm. Next, using a dropper 60, a solution droplet 64 that forms the hole transport layer 12 and the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 is dropped. Thereby, the droplet 64 can form the positive hole transport layer 12 and the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 (refer FIG.27 (b)) of uniform thickness on the board | substrate 10 with a centrifugal force.

(Inkjet printing method)
Moreover, when producing an organic thin-film solar cell having a relatively large area, a method by ink jet printing as shown in FIG. 28 can be used.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 28, a plurality of transparent electrode layers 11 are formed on a substrate 70 made of glass or the like. The transparent electrode layer 11 can be formed with a plurality of stripe patterns with a gap therebetween. For forming the gap, an oxygen plasma etching technique, a laser patterning technique, a nanoimprint technique, or the like can be applied.

An insulating layer 72 is formed so as to fill the gap. The insulating layer 72 can be composed of, for example, a SiO ₂ thin film. Each insulating layer 72 is patterned by etching.

Further, another insulating layer 74 is formed on each insulating layer 72. The insulating layer 74 can be formed by, for example, a SiO ₂ thin film. Each insulating layer 72 is patterned by etching.

Next, as shown on the right side of FIG. 28, the hole transport layer 12 and the bulk are formed in the gaps between the insulating layers 72 and the insulating layers 74 using an inkjet device 78 including inkjet nozzles 80 ₁ , 80 ₂ , and 80 _3. The hole transport layer 12 and the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 can be formed by sequentially ejecting droplets 76 of the solution forming the heterojunction organic active layer 14.

  Here, although not shown, a second electrode layer is disposed on the surface of the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14. Further, a passive film is formed on the surface of the second electrode layer by oxygen plasma treatment.

  Thereby, the organic thin-film solar cell of the comparatively large area which improved durability can be produced efficiently.

(Roll-to-roll method)
Moreover, the organic thin film solar cell 1 can also form the positive hole transport layer 12 and the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 by the gravure printing using the roll-to-roll method.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 29, an apparatus to which gravure printing is applied is sandwiched between a cylinder 94 having a plurality of recesses formed along the circumference, a pressure roller 96, and the cylinder 94 and pressure roller 96. A film 98 to be conveyed and a container 92 containing a solution 90 in which the lower part of the cylinder 94 is immersed and forming the hole transport layer 12 and the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 are provided.

  When the driving source (not shown) is operated to rotate the cylinder 94 and the pressure roller 96, the solution is conveyed in a state where the solution is held in the recess provided in the cylinder 94. The cylinder 94 is in contact with a doctor blade (not shown) so as to scrape off excess solution.

  The solution conveyed upward by the concave portion of the cylinder 94 is transferred to the surface of the film 98 by the action of the pressure roller 96.

  In this way, the hole transport layer 12 and the bulk heterojunction organic active layer 14 can be formed.

[Other embodiments]
As described above, the embodiments have been described. However, it should be understood that the descriptions and drawings constituting a part of this disclosure are illustrative and do not limit the present invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operational techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  As described above, the present invention includes various embodiments not described herein.

  The organic thin-film solar cell of the present invention greatly improves the durability, and can be applied to a wide range of fields such as a solar power generation panel, a mobile device charging device and a solar energy system.

1, 1a ... Organic thin film solar cell 10 ... Substrate (ITO substrate)
11 ... 1st electrode layer (anode electrode layer, transparent electrode layer)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Hole transport layer 14 ... Bulk heterojunction organic active layer 16 ... 2nd electrode layer (cathode electrode layer)
24 ... Passive film (oxide film)
40 ... Sealing layer (sealing glass)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 41 ... Sealing material 42 ... Desiccant 50 ... Chamber 52 ... Upper electrode 53 ... Lower electrode 54 ... Mounting table 56 ... Inlet 58 ... Exhaust port 60 ... Dropper 62 ... Spindle 63 ... Table 64 ... Droplet 70 ... Substrate 72, 74 ... Insulating layer 76 ... Droplet 78 ... Inkjet device 80 ... Inkjet nozzle 90 ... Solution 92 ... Container 94 ... Cylinder 96 ... Pressure roller 98 ... Film

Claims (5)

A substrate,
A first electrode layer disposed on the substrate;
A first organic active layer disposed on the first electrode layer and electrically connected to the first electrode layer;
A first sidewall portion connecting the surface and the surface of the first organic active layer, covering at least a part of the surface of the first organic active layer and the first organic active layer A second electrode layer having a side wall portion disposed on the inner side than the first end of the first organic active layer and electrically connected to the first organic active layer;
The first side wall portion is continuously covered from the surface of the second electrode layer, extends to a part of the surface of the first organic active layer, and is in close contact with the first organic active layer. An organic thin-film solar cell comprising: a first insulating layer formed by: A third electrode layer disposed on the substrate and spaced apart from the first electrode layer;
On the third electrode layer, a second end that is spaced apart from and faces the first end of the first organic active layer is disposed, and is electrically connected to the third electrode layer. A second organic active layer,
A fourth electrode layer disposed from the surface of the second organic active layer so as to cover the second end portion and extend to the first electrode layer;
A second insulating layer formed to cover the surface of the fourth electrode layer and the side wall of the fourth electrode layer covering the second end of the second organic active layer. The organic thin-film solar cell according to claim 1.   The organic thin-film solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer or the second insulating layer is an oxide film.   4. The organic thin-film solar cell according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first insulating layer or the second insulating layer is 10 Å to 100 Å.   5. The organic according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode layer or the fourth electrode layer is made of any one of Al, W, Mo, Mn, and Mg. Thin film solar cell.