Organic photosensitive optoelectronic devices with a top transparent electrode

• US 6,297,495 B1
• Filed: 08/19/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University)
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University)
• Inventors: Forrest, Stephen R., Bulovic, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John R.
• Application Number:
  US09/136,166
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.1, 250/214.R, 250/200, 250/215, 250/214.AL, 250/208.1, 250/208.2, 136/263, 136/256, 136/252, 136/243, 136/249.TS, 430/56, 430/57, 430/58, 430/59, 430/60, 430/66, 257/184, 257/449, 257/461, 438/57, 438/59, 438/74, 438/82, 428/411.1, 428/458, 428/469, 428/913
• US Class Current: 250/214.1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/20 comprising organic-organic junctions, e.g. donor-acceptor junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/211 comprising multiple junctions, e.g. double heterojunctions
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/451 comprising a metal-semiconductor-metal [m-s-m] structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/57 comprising multiple junctions, e.g. tandem PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/211 Fullerenes, e.g. C60
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/215 comprising substituents, e.g. PCBM
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/30 Coordination compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/311 Phthalocyanine
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/60 Organic compounds having low molecular weight H10K85/10 - H10K85/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/621 Aromatic anhydride or imide compounds, e.g. perylene tetra-carboxylic dianhydride or perylene tetracarboxylic di-imide
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

An organic photosensitive optoelectronic device optimized to enhance desired characteristics such as external quantum efficiency is described. The photosensitive optoelectronic device has transparent electrode as the top electrode. The substrate may be the bottom electrode or there may be a bottom electrode distinct from the substrate. One or more organic photoconductive layers are disposed between the electrodes. In other embodiments photosensitive optoelectronic devices with multilayer photoconductive structures and photosensitive optoelectronic devices with a reflective layer or a reflective substrate are disclosed.

Claims

1. An organic photosensitive optoelectronic device comprising:

a substrate having a proximal surface and a distal surface;

at least one electrode layer in superposed relationship upon said proximal surface of said substrate, wherein the electrode layer farthest from said substrate is transparent; and

two photoconductive organic layers selected to form a photovoltaic heterojunction disposed between at least one electrode layer and said substrate, wherein one of said two photoconductive organic layers consists essentially of copper phthalocyanine and the other of said two photoconductive organic layers consists essentially of perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said electrode layer farthest from said substrate comprises a metal substitute electrode layer.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the metal substitute electrode layer comprises a conductive polymer.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the conductive polymer comprises polyaniline.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein the metal substitute electrode layer comprises a conductive oxide.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the conductive oxide is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, tin oxide, gallium indium oxide, zinc oxide and zinc indium oxide.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the conductive oxide comprises indium tin oxide.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the substrate is reflective.

9. An organic photosensitive optoelectronic device comprising:

a substrate having a proximal surface and a distal surface;

at least on e electrode layer in seasoned relationship upon said proximal surface of said substrate, wherein the electrode layer farthest from said substrate is transparent, and

two photoconductive organic layers selected to form a photovoltaic heterojunction disposed between at least one electrode layer and said substrate, wherein one of said two photoconductive organic layers consists essentially of copper phthalocyanine and the other of said two photoconductive organic layers consists essentially of 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic-bis-benzimidazole.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said electrode layer farthest from said substrate comprises a metal substitute electrode layer.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the metal substitute electrode comprises a conductive polymer.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the conductive polymer comprises polyaniline.

13. Device of claim 10 wherein metal substitute electrode layer comprises a conductive oxide.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the conductive oxide is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, tin oxide, gallium indium oxide, zinc oxide and zinc indium oxide.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the conductive oxide comprises indium tin oxide.

16. The device of claim 9 wherein the substrate is reflective.

17. An organic photosensitive optoelectronic device comprising:

a substrate having a proximal surface and a distal surface;

at least one electrode layer in superposed relationship upon said proximal surface of said substrate, wherein the electrode layer farthest from said substrate is a transparent metal substitute electrode layer; and

four photoconductive organic layers, having an inner pair and an outer pair, between at least one electrode layer and said substrate.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said inner pair of said four photoconductive organic layers is a pair of photoconductive organic layers, each layer selected to form a photovoltaic heterojunction with the other layer of said inner pair, so that the heterojunction has spectral sensitivity in a specified region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein one layer of said inner pair of photoconductive organic layers comprises aluminum tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) and the other layer of said inner pair comprises 4,4′

-bis[N-(1-napthy)-N-phenyl-amino]biphenyl.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein at least one of said outer pair of said four photoconductive organic layers comprises a material selected from the group consisting of copper phthalocyanine, perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride and 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic-bis-benzimidazole.

21. The device of claim 18 wherein at least one of said outer pair of said four photoconductive organic layers comprise an organic molecular crystal material.

22. The device of claim 18 wherein at least one of said outer pair of said four photoconductive organic layers comprises a polymeric material.

23. The device of claim 18 wherein at least one of said outer pair of the said four photoconductive organic layers comprises a material selected from the group consisting of phthalocyanine compounds, perylene compounds, polyacene compounds, and porphyrin compounds.

24. The device of claim 17 wherein the metal substitute electrode layer comprises a conductive polymer.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein the conductive polymer comprises polyaniline.

26. The device of claim 17 wherein the metal substitute electrode layer comprises a conductive oxide.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the conductive oxide is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, tin oxide, gallium indium oxide, zinc oxide and zinc indium oxide.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein the conductive oxide comprises indium tin oxide.

29. The device of claim 17 wherein the substrate is reflective.

30. An organic photosensitive optoelectronic device comprising:

a substrate having a proximal surface and a distal surface;

at least one electrode layer in superposed relationship upon said proximal surface of said substrate, wherein the electrode layer farthest from said substrate is transparent; and

two photoconductive organic layers disposed between at least one electrode layer and said substrate;

wherein each photosensitive organic layer is selected to form a photovoltaic heterojunction with the other photosensitive organic layer, so that the heterojunction has spectral sensitivity in a specified region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

31. The device of claim 30 wherein one of said two photoconductive organic layers consists essentially of copper phthalocyanine and the other of said two photoconductive organic layers consists essentially of perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride.

32. The device of claim 30 wherein one of said two photoconductive organic layers consists essentially of copper phthalocyanine and the other of said two photoconductive organic layers consists essentially of 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic-bis-benzimidazole.

33. The device of claim 32 wherein the metal substitute electrode layer comprises a conductive oxide.

34. The device of claim 33 wherein the conductive oxide is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, tin oxide, gallium indium oxide, zinc oxide and zinc indium oxide.

35. The device of claim 34 wherein the conductive oxide comprises indium tin oxide.

36. The device of claim 30 wherein said electrode farthest from said substrate comprises a metal substitute electrode layer.

37. The device of claim 36 wherein the metal substitute electrode layer comprises a conductive polymer.

38. The device of claim 37 wherein the conductive polymer comprises polyaniline.

39. The device of claim 30 wherein the substrate is reflective.