SpringerLink
Log in

Electrohydrodynamic spinning of random-textured silver webs for electrodes embedded in flexible organic solar cells

  • Published:
Journal of the Korean Physical Society Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A convenient process for fabricating a transparent conducting electrode on a flexible substrate is essential for numerous low-cost optoelectronic devices, including organic solar cells (OSCs), touch sensors, and free-form lighting applications. Solution-processed metal-nanowire arrays are attractive due to their low sheet resistance and optical clarity. However, the limited conductance at wire junctions and the rough surface topology still need improvement. Here, we present a facile process of electrohydrodynamic spinning using a silver (Ag) - polymer composite paste with high viscosity. Unlike the metal-nanofiber web formed by conventional electrospinning, a relatively thick, but still invisible-to-naked eye, Ag-web random pattern was formed on a glass substrate. The process parameters such as the nozzle diameter, voltage, flow rate, standoff height, and nozzle-scanning speed, were systematically engineered. The formed random texture Ag webs were embedded in a flexible substrate by in-situ photo-polymerization, release from the glass substrate, and post-annealing. OSCs with a donor-acceptor polymeric heterojunction photoactive layer were prepared on the Ag-web-embedded flexible films with various Ag-web densities. The short-circuit current and the power conversion efficiency of an OSC with a Ag-web-embedded electrode were not as high as those of the control sample with an indium-tin-oxide electrode. However, the Ag-web textures embedded in the OSC served well as electrodes when bent (6-mm radius), showing a power conversion efficiency of 2.06% (2.72% for the flat OSC), and the electrical stability of the Ag-web-textured patterns was maintained for up to 1,000 cycles of bending.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (France)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J. Perelaer, B. J. de Gans and U. S. Schubert, Adv. Mater. 18, 2101 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. J-U. Park, M. Hardy, S. J. Kang, K. Barton, K. Adair, D. K. Mukhopadhyay, C. Y. Lee, M. S. Strano, A. G. Alleyne, J. G. Georgiadis, P. M. Ferreira and J. A. Rogers, Nat. Mater. 6, 782 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. S. Jeong, K. Woo, D. Kim, S. Lim, J. S. Kim, H. Shin, Y. **a and J. Moon, Adv. Funct. Mater. 18, 679 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Y. Sun, B. Mayers, T. Herricks and Y. **a, Nano Lett. 3, 955 (2003).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. U. Jeong, P. H. C. Camargo, Y. H. Lee and Y. **a, J. Mater. Chem. 16, 3893 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. L. Hu, H. Wu and Y. Cui, MRS Bulletin 36, 760 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. E. C. Garnett, W. Cai, J. J. Cha, F. Mahmood, S. T. Connor, M. G. Christoforo, Y. Cui, M. D. McGehee and M. L. Brongersma, Nat. Mater. 11, 241 (2012).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. H. Wu, D. Lin, R. Zhang and W. Pan, Chem. Mater. 19, 1895 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. M. Bognitzki, M. Becker, M. Graeser, W. Massa, J. H. Wendorff, A. Schaper, D. Weber, A. Beyer, A. Golzhauser, A. Greiner, Adv. Mater. 18, 2384 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. S. H. Choi, T. S. Hyun, H. J. Lee, S. Y. Jang, S. G. Oh and I-D. Kim, Electrochem. Solid-State Lett. 13, A65 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. W. Gaynor, G. F. Burkhard, M.D. McGehee and P. Peumans, Adv. Mater. 23, 2905 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. J. **, J. Lee, S. Jeong, S. Yang, J. Ko, H. Im, S. Baek, J-Y. Lee, B-S. Bae, Energy Environ. Sci. 6, 1811 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. S. Nam, M. Song, D-H. Kim, B. Cho, H. M. Lee, J-D. Kwon, S-G. Park, K-S. Nam, Y. Jeong, S-H. Kwon, Y. C. Park, S-H. **, J-W. Kang, S. Jo and C. S. Kim, Sci. Rep. 4, 4788 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  14. M. Kang, M. Kim, J. Kim and L. J. Guo, Adv. Mater. 20, 4408 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Y. Galagan, J. J. M. Rubingh, R. Andriessen, C. Fan, P. W. M. Blom, S. C. Veenstra and J. M. Kroon, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 95, 1339 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. J. U. Park, S. Lee, S. Unarunotai, Y. G. Sun, S. Dunham, T. Song, P. M. Ferreira, A. G. Alleyene, U. Paik and J. A. Rogers, Nano Lett. 10, 584 (2010).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. M. S. Onses, E. Sutanto, P. M. Ferreira, A.G. Alleyne and J. A. Rogers, Small 11, 4237 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. G. I. Taylor, Proc. R. Soc. London A 280, 383 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. R. T. Collins, M. T. Harris and O. A. Basaran, J. Fluid Mech. 588, 75 (2007).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  20. Y. Jang, J. Kim and D. Byun, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 46, 155103 (2013).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. H. Wu, L. Hu, M. W. Rowell, D. Kong, J. J. Cha, J. R. McDonough, J. Zhu, Y. Yang, M. D. McGehee and Y. Cui, Nano Lett. 10, 4242 (2010).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. D. Li and Y. N. **a, Adv. Mater. 16, 1151 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. H. Wu, R. Zhang, X. X. Liu, D. D. Lin and W. Pan, Chem. Mater. 19, 3506 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. J. Y. Lee, S. T. Connor, Y. Cui and P. Peumans, Nano Lett. 8, 689 (2008).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. B. Seong, I. Chae, H. Lee, V. D. Nguyen and D. Byun, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 17, 7629 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. H. Wu, D. Kong, Z. Ruan, P-C. Hsu, S. Wang, Z. Yu, T. J. Carney, L. Hu, S. Fan and Y. Cui, Nat. Nanotech. 8, 421 (2013).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. H-Y. Chen, J. Hou, S. Zhang, Y. Liang, G. Yang, Y. Yang, L. Yu, Y. Wu and G. Li, Nat. Photonics 3, 649 (2009).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. S. K. Park, J. I. Han, D. G. Moon and W. K. Kim, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 42, 623 (2003).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. D. R. Cairns, R. P. Witte II, D. K. Sparacin, S. M. Sachsman, D. C. Paine, G. P. Crawford and R. R. Newton, Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 1425 (2000).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. L. B. Hu, H. S. Kim, J. Y. Lee, P. Peumans and Y. Cui, ACS Nano 4, 2955 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Micro/Nano Process Research Group, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Ansan, 15588, Korea

    Dai Geon Yoon

  2. Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin, 16890, Korea

    Byung Doo Chin

  3. Department of Creative Convergent Manufacturing Engineering (CCME), Dankook University, Yongin, 16890, Korea

    Robert Bail

Authors
  1. Dai Geon Yoon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Byung Doo Chin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert Bail
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Byung Doo Chin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yoon, D.G., Chin, B.D. & Bail, R. Electrohydrodynamic spinning of random-textured silver webs for electrodes embedded in flexible organic solar cells. Journal of the Korean Physical Society 70, 598–605 (2017). https://doi.org/10.3938/jkps.70.598

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3938/jkps.70.598

Keywords

Search

Navigation