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有机太阳能电池原理与应用
何游 刘世卓 许德安 张昱 (South University of Science and Technology of China)

摘要:
有机半导体材料以其原料易得,廉价,制备 工艺简单,环境稳定性高,可折叠,有良好的光 伏效应等优点,日益被人们所重视。本文首先介 绍了有机太阳能电池的分类、结构及基本原理, 之后评述了有机太阳能电池的应用,并对它的未 来发展前景作了展望。

1.引言
1.1 有机太阳能电池背景
随着煤炭、石油、天然气等化石燃料的大量使用,对全球环境造成了不可忽视的污 染,排放二氧化碳、甲烷等温室气体也造成了全球气候变化,更加棘手的是上述等不可 再生能源的数量是有限的,随着时间的推移和消耗量的剧增,能源危机成为人类不得不 面对的严峻问题之一。 而太阳能是取之不尽用之不竭的绿色新能源, 太阳能的广泛应用为能源问题带来一 丝曙光。利用太阳能必须依赖于光伏电池,而有机光伏电池又是其中很重要的一部分。 本文将针对有机太阳能电池的分类、结构、原理、局限以及发展前景展开评论。 太阳能电池又称为“太阳能芯片”或“光电池” “,是一种利用太阳光直接发电的

光电半导体薄片。它只要被光照到,瞬间就可输出电压及电流。在物理学上称为太阳能 光伏(Photovoltaic,photo 光,voltaic 伏特,缩写为 PV) ,简称光伏。 1839 年, 1883 年 Charles 光生伏打效应第一次由法国物理学家 A.E.Becquerel 发现。 Fritts 制造了第一块太阳电池。Charles 用硒半导体上覆上一层极薄的金层形成半导体金 属结,该器件只有 1%的效率。1970 年代,由于能源危机,世界各国开始关注能源开发 1973 年发生了石油危机, 的重要性。 人们开始把太阳能电池的应用转移到一般的民生用 途上。

1.2 有机太阳能电池分类
1.2.1 单层有机太阳能电池

单层有机太阳能电池是有机太阳能电池中最简单的形式, 两个金属导电层夹着有机 电子材料层,例如高功函的氧化铟锡(ITO)和低功函的铝、镁和钙。 两个导电层的功函差在有机层的两端建立了一个电场。当有机层吸收小光子后, 电 子会被激发到 LUMO 上,空穴留在 HOMO 上形成激子,而电极上不同的功函造成的电 势有利于激子的分离,将电子拉到正极,空穴拉到负极,这个过程中形成的电压和电流 就可以被利用。电场并不是最好的使激子分离的方法,异质结电池中使用有效场来使激 子分离的效率更高。
1.2.2 双层太阳能电池

这类电池在电极间有两层不同的物质,这两种物质在电子亲和性、电离能方面有差 异,因此静电力在两层间的界面产生。这两层所用的材料要尽可能使这两种差异更大, 从而使得局部电场大到足以使激子分离,比单层太阳能电池更有效。两种材料中拥有较 高电子亲和性和电离能的是电子受体,另外一个是电子给体。这种结构也叫做平面给受 异质结。

1.2.3 本体异质结太阳能电池

在本体异质结太阳能电池中,电子给体与受体共混到一起形成膜。每块给体或受体 的长度与激子扩散距离一致,给体或受体中产生的大部分激子可以到达两个物质的界 面,并得到有效的分离。电子迁移到受体区域后逐渐到达电极并被收集,空穴被拉到相 反的方向,并被另一个电极所收集。

2.有机光伏电池结构
2.1 有机光伏电池原理
太阳能电池是一个特别的半导体二极管,它可能将可见光能转化为直流电,一些 太阳能电池可能转化红外和紫外光的能量为直流电。 通常用于有机光伏电池的材料都是 有大量共轭键的,共轭键是由交替碳碳单键和双键组成的,共轭键的电子的简并轨道是 离域的,形成了离域成键轨道π轨道和反键轨道π*。离域π键是最高占据轨道(HOMO), 反键轨道π*是最低未占据轨道(LUMO)。HOMO 和 LUMO 的能级差被认为是有机电子 材料的带隙,带隙一般在 1-4 GeV。 当这些材料吸收了一个光子,就形成了激发态,并被局限在一个分子或一条聚合物 的链,激发态可以被看作是在静电力作用结合的一个电子和空穴,也就是激发子,简称 激子。 在光伏电池中, 激子在不同物质的异质结形成的有效场中成为自由的电子空穴对, 有效场使电子从吸光体(也就是电子给体)的导带降到受体分子的导带上从而破坏了激 子,因此电子受体材料的导带边界,也就是它的 LUMO 必须低于吸光体材料。

2.2 有机太阳能电池的结构

2.2.1 单质结结构

单质结结构是以 School 势垒为基础原理而制作的有机太阳能电池。其结构为玻璃/ 金属电极/染料/金属电极,利用了两个电极的功函不同,可以产生一个电场,电子从低 功函的金属电极传递到高功函电极从而产生光电流。 由于电子—空穴均在同一种材料中 传递,所以其光电转化率比较低。
2.2.2 P—N 异质结结构

P-N 异质结结构是指这种结构具有给体-受体(N 型半导体与 P 型半导体)的异质 结结构。其中半导体的材料多为染料,如酞菁类化合物、苝四甲醛亚胺类化合物,利用 半导体层间的 D/A 界面(Donor——给体,Acceptor——受体)以及电子—空穴分别在 不同的材料中传递的特性,使分离效率提高。Elias Haemostat 等人结合无机以及有机化 合物的优点制得的太阳能电池光电转化率在 5%~6%。

2.2.3 NPC(holocrystalline photovoltaic cell)染料敏化纳米晶

染料敏化太阳能电池(DSSC)主要是指以染料敏化的多空纳米结构 TiO2 薄膜为 光阳极的一类太阳能电池。 它是仿生植物叶绿素光合作用原理的太阳能电池。 NPC 太 而

阳能电池可选用适当的氧化还原电解质从而使光电效率提高,一般可稳定于 10%,并且 纳米晶 TiO2 制备简便,成本低廉,寿命可观,具有不错的市场前景。

3.有机太阳能电池的问题
有机材料的带隙很大是导致有机太阳能电池相对无机太阳能电池的问题有较低的 量子效率(~3%)的主要原因。材料的氧化和还原所导致的不稳定性,重结晶和温度变 化导致了器件的衰老,每个层面都对研究者提出了很大的挑战。其它重要因素还有激子 扩散距离、电荷分离和电荷收集,而材料中的杂质对电荷传导和迁移率也有影响。

3.1 膜的形貌影响
将有机材料电子给受体分散后的本体异质结相对于平面异质结有较高的量子效率, 因此分散后更有利于激子在扩散距离内找到界面。膜的形貌对于量子效率有重要影响。 粗糙的表面和空白的存在会增加器件的串联电阻或使电池短路。 蒸镀金属电极后退火一 般可以显著提高膜的形貌和量子效率, 盖在有机层上的金属电极可以阻止有机层形貌的

弛豫,从而形成电子给受体系相分离贯穿且紧密堆积的膜。

3.2 异质结的控制生长
电荷分离发生在电子给受体的界面。当电子在迁移到电极的过程中,电荷可能会在 无序的贯穿的有机材料中被陷阱和或重组,导致减小的器件效率。异质结的控制生长可 以控制给受体材料的位置, 从而导致相对平面和高度无序异质结电池更高的能量转化效 率。为了更好地控制结构和膜的形貌调节合适的器件制作过程参数是非常有必要的。

3.3 生长技术的过程
大部分光伏器件的膜是通过旋转涂抹(旋涂)或蒸气相沉积的方法得到的,然后每 个方法都有自己的缺点。旋涂可以在高速下制备更大的面积,但是所使用的溶剂会破坏 已有的膜,另外一个相关问题是旋涂时会使整个基底都涂上同一个物质。

3.4 真空热蒸镀

另一个沉积的方法是通过在真空中加热有机物的真空热蒸镀法。 基底被放到距离蒸

镀源几厘米的上方,使得有机物的蒸气可能会直接沉积到基底表面。这种方法是不需要 各层之前的化学作用,对于沉积不同的层是很有用的。然而,通过这人方法在大面积的 基底上得到的膜的厚度和均一性有时不好。另外,先沉积到蒸发炉内壁的物质可能污染 之后的沉积。而且,这种直接沉积的技术可能会在因为遮挡而在膜上产生空白,从而提 高了串联电阻和短路。

3.5 有机蒸气相沉积
用有机蒸气沉积的方法被证明比在真空中热蒸镀制备有机薄膜能更好地控制膜的 结构和形貌,这是一个在惰性气流中蒸发有机物到基底的过程,通过改变气流的速度和 源的温度来控制膜的形貌。 减小气流的压强可以增加气流的速度和平均自由程从而减小 边界厚度得到均一的膜。这样得到的器件也不会被蒸发炉中的其他物质所污染,因为蒸 发炉内壁很热,有机分子无法附着在上面成膜。

4.有机太阳能电池优点及应用前景
4.1 有机太阳能电池的优点
有机太阳能电池具有如下优点: (1)化学可变性大,原料来源广泛; (2)有多种途径可改变和提高材料光谱吸收能力,扩展光谱吸收范围,并提高载流子 的传送能力; (3)加工容易,可采用旋转法、流延法大面积成膜,还可进行拉伸取向使极性分子规 整排列,采用 LB 膜技术在分子生长方向控制膜的厚度; (4)容易进行物理改性,如采用高能离子注入掺杂或辐照处理可提高载流子的传导力, 减小电阻损耗提高短路电流;

(5)电池制作的结构多样化; (6)价格便宜,有机高分子半导体材料的合成工艺比较简单,如酞菁类染料早已实现 工业化生产,因而成本低廉,这是有机太阳能电池实用化最具有竞争能力的因素; (7)可降解,对环境的污染小。 主要太阳能电池技术分类比较
技术分代 太阳能电池类型 单晶硅 第一代:晶体硅 太阳能电池 多晶硅 生产过程污染 高,耗能大 原材料 生产工艺 工艺繁琐,成本 高昂 生产工艺较单晶 硅简单,但成本 仍较高 光电转化效率 16%-18% 12%-14%

非晶硅薄膜

生产消耗的硅料 相对第一代太阳 能电池有所减少 铟的储量稀少, 不足以支撑大规 模生产 原料镉有剧毒, 碲储量比白金还 稀少 原材料成本低

6%-8% 生产工艺较第一 代太阳能能电池 有较大简化,但 受到真空过程的 局限,生产设备 较昂贵 生产工艺简单

铜铟镓锡 第二代:无机薄 膜太阳能电池 碲化镉

11%

9%

第三代:新技术 概念

有机太阳能电池

6%-7%

4.2 有机太阳能电池的应用前景
与传统硅电池相比,有机太阳能电池更轻薄,在同等体积的情况下,展开后的受光 面积会大大增加。 因此, 可将有机太阳能电池可以应用于通信卫星中, 提高光电利用率。 而且,由于其轻薄柔软易携带的特性,有机太阳能电池不久将能给微型电脑、数码音乐 播放器、无线鼠标等小型电子设备提供能源。 在有机太阳能电池上可体现各种颜色和 图案,更加精美的设计使它们能够很好融合于建筑设计等领域。用廉价的有机太阳能电 池做某些办公楼的外墙装饰可以吸收太阳能发电供楼内使用 (如取暖, 照明, 工作用电) ,

充分利用了能源。在衣服表层嵌入轻薄柔软的有机太阳能电池与有机发光材料,将太阳 能转化为电能并储存,冬天可发热保暖,衣服在夜间也会发出各种颜色的可见光,使人 们的衣服更加绚丽。 从目前显示器领域的发展方向来看,更大的面积、更低的成本、 更加节能环保以及轻薄耐用都是热点趋势,柔性显示器不仅具有这些特性,而且具有更 多创新应用的发展潜力,从单纯的面板扩大至数字出版、会展布置、广告媒体和建筑设 计等产业,深入生活的不同层面,改变整个信息生活的风貌。将有机太阳能电池应用在 柔性显示器中,其廉价的成本、轻薄、环保、可折叠的性能比其它电池具有更大的优势。 最近, 以视频眼镜和随身影院为重要载体的头戴式显示器得到了越来越广泛的应用 和发展。采用有机太阳能电池作为电源给 OLED 屏幕供电,其轻便性能可以减轻重量, 使得头戴式显示器更加人性化。 我们预计, 有机太阳能电池与 OLED 的联合使用可以引 领电子设备的革命,人们生活与娱乐也将变得更加丰富多彩。 在军事方面, 有机太阳能电池与 OLED 技术的结合可用于集多种通讯能力于一体的 护腕式通讯设备,实时观看视频和图形信息,适合陆军进行野战评估。 在电力方面, 有机太阳能电池除了应用在内蒙地区或辽宁西北部地区沙化土地上进 行发电外,还可以用于大面积的植树造林。采用速生的品种让树木在有效的生长期内快 速增长,使树木在人为的控制下像粮食一样增产增收。在具体实施过程中,有机太阳能 电池和太阳能抽水技术将发挥十分重要的作用。 经计算,模拟叶绿素的有机太阳能薄膜电池理论上光电转化效率可达 60-80%,这 是有机太阳能电池提高光电转化效率的可能的重要途径,也是一条发展的新思路。

5.结语
有机太阳能电池原理的研究已经取得了一定的进展, 将来如果能制造出光转化率更

高、更稳定、轻薄、廉价的有机太阳能电池,它将会广泛应用于生活的方方面面。

6.参考文献

[1]Rivers N.P.Leading edge research in solar energy,(2007) [2]3.0 3.1 3.2 McGehee D.G., Topinka M.A. Nature Mater. 5, 675-676 (2006) [3] http://baike.baidu.com/view/1500776.htm [4]http://www.solarbe.com/news/content/200 8/3/7342.html [5] 李炳田,任斌,黄河.有机太阳能电池研究进展. 中山大学学报.2003,42:240. [6]http://lxy520880.blog.163.com/blog/static /34256002009730338367/

[7] 徐明生,季振国,阙端麟,汪茫,陈红征.有机 太阳 能电 池研究 进展.材料 科学 与工程 .2000,18 (3) :92. [9] 6.0 6.1 H. Hoppe and N. S. Sariciftci, J. Mater. Res. 19, 1924-1945 (2004) [10] 段晓菲,王金亮,毛景,裴坚.有机太阳能电 池材料的研究进展.大学化学.2005,20(3):1. [11] Peumans P. et al. Nature, 425,

158-162(2003) [12] Yang F. et al. Nature Mater., 4, 37-41 (2005)

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