Conjugated polymer-acceptor heterojunctions; diodes, photodiodes, and photovoltaic cells

• US 5,454,880 A
• Filed: 01/12/1994
• Issued: 10/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Sariciftci, N. S., Heeger, Alan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisstuch, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US08/180,909
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 136/263, 257/40, 257/184, 257/461
• US Class Current: 136/263
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0014 comprising cells based on organic memory material
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0016 comprising polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/025 using fullerenes, e.g. C60, or nanotubes, e.g. carbon or silicon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/04 using optical elements ; using other beam accessed elements, e.g. electron or ion beam
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/30 comprising bulk heterojunctions, e.g. interpenetrating networks of donor and acceptor material domains
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/50 Photovoltaic [PV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/111 comprising aromatic, heteroaromatic, or aryl chains, e.g. polyaniline, polyphenylene or polyphenylene vinylene
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/114 Poly-phenylenevinylene; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/211 Fullerenes, e.g. C60
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

This invention relates generally to the fabrication of heterojunction diodes from semiconducting (conjugated) polymers and acceptors such as, for example, fullerenes, particularly Buckminsterfullerenes, C₆₀, and more particularly to the use of such heterojunction structures as photodiodes and as photovoltaic cells.

Claims

1. A method for the production of electricity from light, comprising the steps of:

contacting with light a heterojunction device having

a. a layer of an undoped conjugated polymer which serves as a donor, and adjacent thereto, a

b. layer of an acceptor material comprising an acceptor selected from the group consisting of the group of fullerenes, substituted fullerenes, fullerene derivatives, polymers comprising fullerenes or substituted fullerenes and organic or polymeric acceptors, said acceptor material having electronegativity in the range to enable a photoinitiated charge separation process, and

recovering electricity from said device.

2. The process of claim 1 where where one or more of the layers of the heterojunction device has been produced by applying onto a substrate in fluid form, either a solution or a melt at temperatures below 300°

C.

5. The method of anyone of claims 1 through 4 where the heterojunction device additionally comprises a contact electrode of a transparent film of polyaniline or a transparent conducting polyblend of polyaniline with an amorphous host polymer, where each two contacting electrodes comprising transparent films of polyaniline or transparent conducting polyblends of polyaniline with an amorphous host polymer.

6. The method of anyone claims 1 through 4 where the heterojunction device additionally comprises two contacting electrodes comprising transparent films of polyaniline or transparent conducting polyblends of polyaniline with an amorphous host polymer.

7. The method of anyone of claims 1 through 4 where the heterojunction device additionally comprises a solid inorganic crystalline or glassy substrate or polymer substrate precoated with a transparent electrode.

8. The method of anyone of claims 1 through 4 where the heterojunction device additionally comprises a solid inorganic crystalline or glassy substrate or polymer substrate precoated with a metal electrode.

9. The method of anyone of claims 1 through 4 where the heterojunction device additionally comprises a flexible polymer substrate precoated with a transparent flexible conducting polymer electrode.

10. The method of anyone of claims 1 through 4 where the heterojunction device additionally comprises a flexible polymer substrate precoated with a flexible metal electrode.

11. The method of anyone of claims 1 through 4 where the heterojunction device additionally comprises a first flexible polymer substrate contact precoated with a flexible metal electrode, and a second flexible conducting layer contact.

12. The method of anyone of claims 1 through 4 where the heterojunction device additionally comprises a flexible polymer substrate contact precoated with a transparent flexible conducting polymer electrode and a second conducting polymer contact.

13. The method of anyone of claims 1 through 4 where the acceptor is a fullerene or a polymer comprising a fullerene.

14. The method of anyone, of claims 1 through 4 where the acceptor is a polymer selected from polyquinoline or a derivative of polyquinoline.

3. A method for the production of electricity from light, comprising the steps of:

contacting with light, a heterojunction device having

a. an undoped conjugated polymer which serves as a doner, and adjacent thereto,

b. an acceptor material comprising an acceptor selected from the group consisting of fullerenes or fullerene derivatives, polymers comprising fullerenes or fullerene derivatives, and organic or polymeric acceptors, said acceptor material having electronegativity in the range to enable a photoinitiated charge separation process

and wherein a heterojunction between the conjugated polymer and acceptor material has been formed in situ by controlled segregation during solidification from a solution containing both the donor and the acceptor moieties, and

recovering electricity from said device.

4. A method for the production of electricity from light, comprising the steps of:

contacting with light, a heterojunction device having

a. an undoped conjugated polymer which serves as a donor, and adjacent thereto,

b. an acceptor material comprising an acceptor selected from the group consisting of fullerenes or fullerene derivatives, polymers comprising fullerenes or fullerene derivatives, and organic or polymeric acceptors, said acceptor material having electronegativity in the range to enable a photoinitiated charge separation process

and wherein a heterojunction between the conjugated polymer and acceptor material is formed in situ by mixing two immiscible liquid constituents, one comprising the donor and the other comprising the acceptor and casting as a solid film, and

recovering electricity from said junction.