Conducting and transparent single-wall carbon nanotube electrodes for polymer-fullerene solar cells

We describe the use of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) thin films as transparent and conducting electrodes for hole collection in poly(hexyl)thiophene-[6-6]phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT-PCBM) organic photovoltaics. We report a power conversion efficiency of 1%, with a fill factor of 0.3 and a short-circuit current of 6.5 mA/cm(2) under 100 mW/cm(2) polychromatic white light illumination measured in air. These values are comparatively higher than reference cells of similar thickness made on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates. This is attributed to the three-dimensional nature of the interface between the SWNTs and the P3HT-PCBM nanocomposite. Our results indicate that solution processed SWNT thin films are a viable alternative to ITO for photovoltaic devices, eliminating an expensive vacuum deposition step in the fabrication of organic solar cells. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics