Lateral Organic Optoelectronic Devices And Applications Thereof

• US 20100307580A1
• Filed: 11/03/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wake Forest University
• Original Assignee: Wake Forest University
• Inventors: Liu, Jiwen, Namboothiry, Manoj A.G., Carroll, David Loren
• Application Number:
  US12/740,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20100307580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/256
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2261/141 Side-chains having aliphatic units
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2261/3223 containing one or more sulfur atoms as the only heteroatom, e.g. thiophene
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2261/91 Photovoltaic applications
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 65/00 Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain C08L7/00 - C08L57/00, C08L61/00 take precedence; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/20 comprising organic-organic junctions, e.g. donor-acceptor junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/30 comprising bulk heterojunctions, e.g. interpenetrating networks of donor and acceptor material domains
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/53 in the form of fibres or tubes, e.g. photovoltaic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/87 Light-trapping means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 39/10 Organic photovoltaic [PV] modules; Arrays of single organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/113 Heteroaromatic compounds comprising sulfur or selene, e.g. polythiophene
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/215 comprising substituents, e.g. PCBM
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The present invention provides organic optoelectronic devices including organic photovoltaic devices. In some embodiments of the present invention, organic optoelectronic devices are operable to convert electromagnetic energy received at one or more points at the side or circumferential area of an optical fiber core into electrical energy.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a fiber core;

a radiation transmissive first electrode surrounding the fiber core;

at least one photosensitive organic layer surrounding the first electrode and electrically connected to the first electrode; and

a non-radiation transmissive second electrode partially covering the organic layer and electrically connected to the organic layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fiber core comprises an optical fiber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optical fiber comprises a glass optical fiber, quartz optical fiber, or a plastic optical fiber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation transmissive first electrode comprises a radiation transmissive conducting oxide.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the radiation transmissive conducting oxide comprises indium tin oxide, gallium indium tin oxide, or zinc indium tin oxide.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photosensitive organic layer comprises a photoactive region.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the photoactive region comprises at least one bulk heterojunction between a donor material and an acceptor material.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the donor material comprises a polymeric phase and the acceptor material comprises nanoparticle phase.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the polymeric phase comprises a conjugated polymer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the conjugated polymer comprises poly(3-hexylthiophene), poly(3-octylthiophene), or mixtures thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the nanoparticle phase comprises fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, or mixtures thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode comprises a metal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode covers less than about 60% of the photosensitive organic layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode covers less than about 50% of the photosensitive organic layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode covers less than about 30% of the photosensitive organic layer.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fiber core is bent at an angle.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the angle is about 90 degrees.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the angle is less than about 90 degrees.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the angle is greater than about 90 degrees.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a photovoltaic cell.

21. An apparatus comprising:

at least one pixel comprising at least one photovoltaic cell, the photovoltaic cell comprising;

a fiber core;

a radiation transmissive first electrode surrounding the fiber core;

at least one photosensitive organic layer surrounding the first electrode and electrically connected to the first electrode; and

a non-radiation transmissive second electrode partially covering the organic layer and electrically connected to the organic layer.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the fiber core comprises an optical fiber.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the optical fiber comprises a glass optical fiber, a quartz optical fiber, or a plastic optical fiber.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one pixel comprises a plurality of photovoltaic cells.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the plurality of photovoltaic cells are bundled.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 comprising an array of pixels.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is a solar collector.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the fiber core is bent at an angle.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the angle is about 90 degrees.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the angle is less than about 90 degrees.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the angle is greater than about 90 degrees.

32. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode covers less than about 60% of the photosensitive organic layer.

33. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode covers less than about 50% of the photosensitive organic layer.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode covers less than about 30% of the photosensitive organic layer.

35. A method of making an optoelectronic device comprising:

providing a fiber core;

disposing a radiation transmissive first electrode on a surface of the core;

disposing at least one photosensitive organic layer in electrical communication with the first electrode; and

disposing a non-radiation transmissive second electrode in electrical communication with the organic layer, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode partially covers the organic layer.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the fiber core comprises an optical fiber.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the optical fiber comprises a glass optical fiber, quartz optical fiber, or a plastic optical fiber.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the radiation transmissive first electrode comprises a radiation transmissive conducting oxide.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the photosensitive organic layer comprises a photoactive region.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the photoactive region comprises at least one bulk heterojunction between a donor material and an acceptor material.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the donor material comprises a polymeric phase and the acceptor material comprises nanoparticle phase.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode covers less than about 60% of the photosensitive organic layer.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode covers less than about 50% of the photosensitive organic layer.

44. The method of claim 35, wherein the non-radiation transmissive second electrode covers less than about 30% of the photosensitive organic layer.

45. The method of claim 35, wherein the fiber core is bent at an angle.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the angle is about 90 degrees.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the angle is less than about 90 degrees.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the angle is greater than about 90 degrees.

49. A method of converting electromagnetic energy into electrical energy comprising:

receiving radiation at a side of an optical fiber core;

transmitting the radiation into at least one photosensitive organic layer;

generating excitons in the organic layer; and

separating the excitons into electrons and holes.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the fiber core comprises an optical fiber.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the optical fiber comprises a glass optical fiber, quartz optical fiber, or a plastic optical fiber.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the photosensitive organic layer comprises a photoactive region.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the photoactive region comprises at least one bulk heterojunction between a donor material and an acceptor material.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the donor material comprises a polymeric phase and the acceptor material comprises nanoparticle phase.

55. The method of claim 49, wherein the fiber core is bent at an angle.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the angle is about 90 degrees.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein the angle is less than about 90 degrees.

58. The method of claim 55, wherein the angle is greater than about 90 degrees.

59. The method of claim 49 further comprising removing the electrons into an external circuit.