Master Thesis "Two-step deposition for p-i-n architectures in organic solar cells"
Subject
Organic solar cells belong to the emerging photovoltaic technologies that can contribute to the energy transition in the near future. Compared to silicon devices, these solutionprocessed solar cells are low cost and eco-friendly, and can be made flexible or semitransparent. Recently developed high-performance materials allow for sequential deposition of the photoactive layer: the electron donor is coated first, followed by the electron acceptor. This opens the way to generating controlled p-i-n architectures with improved efficiencies as compared to the classical one-step deposition process. The objective of this master thesis is to study the impact of the processing conditions on the interdiffusion of donor and acceptor, the general structure of the vertical composition gradient and thus the p-i-n morphology, with the help of Phase-Field simulations.
Your tasks
- Perform systematic 1D simulations of the two-step deposition process, depending on the process and material parameters (evaporation rate, time between both depositions, temperature, solvent-solute affinity, donor-acceptor miscibility, solution viscosity)
- Characterize qualitatively and quantitatively the final composition gradients and establish physical relationships between process parameters and morphology
- Propose process design rules for obtaining the optimal film morphology
- Report your results in a written report and oral presentations
Your profile
- Bachelor in Physics, Chemical Engineering or related field.
- Strong motivation for simulation/modelling
Contact
Prof. Dr. Jens Harting
Head of Research Department
Raum 5011