Energy level alignment in polymer organic solar cells at donor-acceptor planar junction formed by electrospray vacuum deposition

Abstract

Using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), we have measured the energy level offset at the planar interface between poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and C61-butyric acid methylester (PCBM). Gradual deposition of PCBM onto spin-coated P3HT in high vacuum was made possible by using electrospray vacuum deposition (EVD). The UPS measurement of EVD-prepared planar interface resulted in the energy level offset of 0.91 eV between P3HT HOMO and PCBM LUMO, which is considered as the upper limit of Voc of the organic photovoltaic cells.