Optimizing of the inkjet printing technique parameters for fabrication of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

The inkjet printing technique is a promising alternative deposition technique due to its effectiveness in material use and large area coverage. However, the printed film morphology critically depends on the droplets characteristics. This paper reports the optimizing of several key printing parameters, such as pulse voltages, drop spacing and waveform setting for obtaining the high quality droplets and printed film for organic solar cell application. The organic printed film is an active layer of bulk heterojunction solar cells that is composed of blended poly (3-octylthiophene)(P3OT) and (6,6)-phenyl C₇₁ butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). The film was printed on ITO coated glass substrate. The absorption and morphology study of the printed film and the performance of photovoltaic devices characterized by current-voltage measurement in the dark and under illumination are reported. The dependence of setting of printing parameters on the droplets and film quality will be discussed.