Author(s)

Darshan Patel, S. P. Deshmukh

General Engineering Department Institute of Chemical Technology Matunga, Mumbai-400019, India.

A transparent polymer based solar cell was designed and fabricated to utilize the solar energy when exposed to sunlight. The transparent solar cell for window module was composed of a polymeric material PPV (Polyphenylene vinylene), ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) and electrode (Al, Mg, Ca). The polymeric sheet of this cell is by casting process, and electrode is applied on it by CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process. The solar energy collected by this window can be used to power up small household electrical appliances. Recently, polymeric solar cell is made by a roll-to-roll process without using indium-tin oxide (ITO). A commercially available kapton (Polyimide) foil with an over layer of copper was used as the substrate. Sputtering of titanium metal on to the kapton/copper in a vacuum metalizing process gave the monolithic substrate and back electrode for the devices. The active layer was slot-die coated on to the kapton/Cu/Ti foil followed by slot-die coating of a layer of PET, PC or PEN.

Organic Solar Cells; Organic Photovoltaics; ITO-Free; Current Collecting Grid; Printed Anode; High Conductive PEDOT:PSS; Polymer Solar Cells

D. Patel and S. Deshmukh, "Polymer in Sustainable Energy," Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering, Vol. 11 No. 7, 2012, pp. 661-666. doi: 10.4236/jmmce.2012.117049.