Enhancing current density using vertically oriented organic photovoltaics

We report a new organic photovoltaics (OPV) design, “a wrapped OPV”, which can circumvent both challenges of short exciton diffusion length [1], and low charge carrier mobility [2] of organic semiconductors by orienting the OPV vertically, to capture; manage; guide and use all incident photons and therefore, generate higher current. Resonant light, on being transmitted into a wrapped OPV, makes multiple passes through the photoactive layer and is absorbed completely, thus achieving benefits of thick photoactive layer while maintaining its ultra-thin thickness requirement. The current density generated from a wrapped OPV is twice than that generated by a similar OPV with flat orientation.

► A new design of OPV devices called “wrapped OPV” is demonstrated. ► Wrapped OPVs are vertically oriented and are tailor made for organic semiconductors. ► It increases the optical path length of incident light and all resonant photons are absorbed. ► The unique design of a wrapped OPV results in a two-fold increase in current density.