Nanostructured solar cells based on MoO3 film deposition

Abstract

Electrodeposited molybdenum oxide thin films are used as a buffer layer between the indium tin oxide (ITO) anode and the organic electron acceptor film in organic solar cells. The MoO3 films are deposited at room temperature using a solution of molybdic, acid and citric acid as complexing agents. Such electrodeposited MoO3 ultra thin films (10-20 nm) has been used as buffer layer (BF) in ITO/BF/copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)/fullerene (C60)/ aluminium tri (8-hydroxyquinoline) (Alq3)/ aluminium photovoltaic cells. It is shown that this electrodeposited MoO3 buffer layer enhances the charge transfer from CuPc to ITO through a decrease of the effective barrier, present at the interface CuPc/ITO. This improving effect is directly highlighted by the shape of the J-V curves. The kink effect, due to the barrier present at the interface ITO/organic, disappears when the electrodeposited molybdenum oxide buffer layer, is introduced at this interface, which testifies of the decrease of the barrier.