Dip-coating of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) anodes for efficient polymer solar cells

The fabrication of anodes and active layers by dip-coating in indium tin oxide (ITO)-free polymer solar cells (PSCs) is investigated. A highly conductive poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS) layer was used as an anode while a blend film of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) was employed as an active layer. The transmittance and sheet resistance of dip-coated PEDOT:PSS layers prepared with different thickness were studied. These layers were integrated into PSCs. The PSCs with the dip-coated PEDOT:PSS and P3HT:PCBM films exhibited power conversion efficiencies of 3.21% and 3.03% on glass and polyethylene terephthalate substrates, respectively, comparable to those of conventional ITO-based cells. Our research results suggest the feasibility of fabricating PSCs without a traditional spin-coating process and the possibility to substitute the ITO electrodes for conducting polymer films using the facile dip-coating method.