Comparing photovoltaic parameters of conventional cathodes with a novel silver nanoparticle/aluminum cathode in polymer based solar cells

Besides active materials the choice of suitable cathodes is crucial for a good overall performance in solar cells. A cathode modification utilizing a thin silver interlayer followed by an aluminum layer can largely enhance the fill factor of polymer: CIS (copper indium sulfide) solar cells in comparison to pure Al or Ag cathodes. In this work, we investigate if this concept can also be applied to polymer: fullerene solar cells to enhance their overall power conversion efficiency. The organic solar cells examined consisted of blends of low band-gap donor polymers (PCDTBT and PSiF-DBT) as well as PCBM as acceptor.