Researchers at The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology have fabricated the first bulk-hetero-junction (BHJ) solar cell in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The polymer-based organic photovoltaic solar cell (OPV) can be printed on flexible substrates and offers advanced aesthetic characteristics (colours, design flexibility) that could be attractive for BIPV applications and designers around the world.

 

The research project focuses on improving the performance of organic/hybrid BHJ photodetectors (OPVs and organic photodiodes, or OPDs) by optimising power conversion efficiency, extending the lifetime of devices and reducing fabrication cost.

 

While the head of the OPV/OPD research group, Dr. Marcus Dahlem, says he cannot disclose efficiencies of current prototypes at the moment, he does reference that “In 2013, the best performing lab-based devices have shown Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE) of 10.6% (polymer-based OPV).” Dahlem is an assistant professor of microsystems engineering in the Nano-Optics and Optoelectronics Research (NOOR) Laboratory at Masdar Institute.

 

The environmentally friendly fabrication process for these BHJ OPVs does not produce any toxic waste. At this stage, the Masdar Institute team is still using lab-based deposition techniques. “The interlayer and the active layer are spin-coated, while the top electrode is evaporated,” Dahlem says. “In the next stage, we plan to use inkjet printing, screen printing and spray coating, which are industrially compatible.”

 

Dahlem’s team is currently applying for a multi-year research grant to establishment a centre for organic electronics at Masdar Institute, which they then hope to expand into a spin-off startup within Masdar City that could develop the BHJ OPV prototypes into commercially viable products.