Improving the performance of inorganic-organic hybrid photovoltaic devices by uniform ordering of ZnO nanorods and near-atmospheric pressure nitrogen plasma treatment

Abstract

We investigated the performance of hybrid photovoltaic devices composed of ZnO and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). The uniform ordering of ZnO nanorods (NRs) and nitrogen plasma treatment at near-atmospheric pressure offer advantages in modifying the ZnO NR surface. Uniform ordering of the ZnO NRs promoted the effective infiltration of P3HT, increasing the donor-acceptor interface area, which is directly related to short-circuit current density (JSC). Near-atmospheric pressure treatment compensated carriers to form a highly resistant interlayer at the ZnO surface, which reduced carrier recombination and, as a result, increased the open circuit voltage (V OC). Combining these two approaches achieved five-fold increase in JSC compared to that of the planar heterojunction, while the V OC was increased up to 0.71 V. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.