Organic solar cell or light-emitting diode

• US 6,559,375 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dieter Meissner
• Original Assignee: Dieter Meissner
• Inventors: Rostalski, Jörn, Meissner, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/856,875
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 136/252, 136/255, 136/263, 136/256, 257/43, 257/40, 257/79, 257/80, 257/461, 257/464, 257/431, 362/800
• 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: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/10 comprising heterojunctions between organic semiconductors and inorganic semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/151 the wide bandgap semiconductor comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/211 comprising multiple junctions, e.g. double heterojunctions
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/30 comprising bulk heterojunctions, e.g. interpenetrating networks of donor and acceptor material domains
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/35 comprising inorganic nanostructures, e.g. CdSe nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/50 Photovoltaic [PV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/211 Fullerenes, e.g. C60
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/311 Phthalocyanine
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A component with a first layer which mainly includes a first material, a second layer which mainly includes a second material and at least one intermediate layer being located between the first layer and the second layer. The component is configured in such a way that the intermediate layer contains the first and/or the second material and that at least one substance is colloidally dissolved in the intermediate layer and that the substance has another conductibility than the first or second material.

Claims

1. Component with a first layer (30) which consists essentially of a first material, a second layer (60) which consists essentially of a second material, and at least one intermediate layer (40, 50) which is located between the first layer (30) and the second layer (60), characterized in that the intermediate layer (40, 50) contains the first material and/or the second material and that in the intermediate layer (40, 50) at least one substance is colloidally dissolved and that the substance has a conductivity less than the first material or the second material,

wherein between the first layer (30) and the second layer (60) there are a first intermediate layer (40) and a second intermediate layer (50), that the first intermediate layer (40) adjoins the first layer (30) and that the second intermediate layer (50) adjoins the second layer (60).

2. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first intermediate layer (40) contains essentially the first material and the colloidally dissolved substance and wherein the second intermediate layer (50) consists essentially of the second material and the colloidally dissolved substance.

3. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first intermediate layer (40) contains essentially the first material and the colloidally dissolved substance and wherein the second intermediate layer (50) contains the second material, the first material and the colloidally dissolved substance.

4. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first intermediate layer (40) contains the first material the second material, and the colloidally dissolved substance and wherein the second layer (50) contains essentially the second material and the colloidally dissolved substance.

5. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first substance is colloidally dissolved in the first intermediate layer (40) and wherein a second substance is colloidally dissolved in the second intermediate layer (50).

6. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material is a semiconductor.

7. Component as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first material is an organic semiconductor.

8. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second material is a semiconductor.

9. Component as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second material is an organic semiconductor.

10. Component as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first material has a different type of conductivity than the second material.

11. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the colloidally dissolved substance consists of a semiconductor material.

12. Component as claimed in claim 11, wherein the substance contains TiO₂.

14. Component as claimed in claim 11, wherein the substance contains an organic semiconductor material.

20. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substance is present essentially in the form of particles.

21. Component as claimed in claim 20, wherein the particles essentially have a size between 1 nm and 1 micron.

22. Component as claimed in claim 21, wherein the size of the particles is between 1 nm and 200 nm.

23. Component as claimed in claim 20, wherein the particles have a concentration which is so large that percolation occurs.

24. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concentration of the substance varies spatially.

25. Component as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are at least two substances in the intermediate layer.

26. Component as claimed in claim 25, wherein one of the substances has a concentration which varies differently in space than the concentration of another substance.

28. Component as claimed in claim 25, wherein a first substance has a different type of conductivity from a second substance.

29. Component as claimed in claim 25, wherein one substance has a different band gap than another substance.

13. Component with a first layer (30) which consists essentially of a first material, a second layer (60) which consists essentially of a second material, and at least one intermediate layer (40, 50) which is located between the first layer (30) and the second layer (60), characterized in that the intermediate layer (40, 50) contains the first material and/or the second material and that in the intermediate layer (40, 50) at least one substance is colloidally dissolved and that the substance has a conductivity less than the first material or the second material,

wherein the colloidally dissolved substance consists of a semiconductor material, and

wherein the substance contains SnO₂.

15. Component with a first layer (30) which consists essentially of a first material, a second layer (60) which consists essentially of a second material, and at least one intermediate layer (40, 50) which is located between the first layer (30) and the second layer (60), characterized in that the intermediate layer (40, 50) contains the first material and/or the second material and that in the intermediate layer (40, 50) at least one substance is colloidally dissolved and that the substance has a conductivity less than the first material or the second material, wherein the substance contains at least one carbon modification which has a band gap.

16. Component as claimed in claim 15, wherein the substance contains at least one component from the group of fullerenes, substituted fullerenes or fullerene derivatives.

17. Component as claimed in claim 16, wherein the substance contains C₆₀.

18. Component as claimed in claim 15, wherein the substance contains a graphite carbon modification.

19. Component as claimed in claim 18, wherein the substance contains graphene.

27. Component with a first layer (30) which consists essentially of a first material, a second layer (60) which consists essentially of a second material, and at least one intermediate layer (40, 50) which is located between the first layer (30) and the second layer (60), characterized in that the intermediate layer (40, 50) contains the first material and/or the second material and that in the intermediate layer (40, 50) at least one substance is colloidally dissolved and that the substance has a conductivity less than the first material or the second material,

wherein there are at least two substances in the intermediate layer, and

wherein a first substance has a Fermi level which differs by at least 20 meV from the Fermi level of a second substance.

30. Component with a first layer (30) which consists essentially of a first material, a second layer (60) which consists essentially of a second material, and at least one intermediate layer (40, 50) which is located between the first layer (30) and the second layer (60), characterized in that the intermediate layer (40, 50) contains the first material and/or the second material and that in the intermediate layer (40, 50) at least one substance is colloidally dissolved and that the substance has a conductivity less than the first material or the second material,

wherein there are at least two substances in the intermediate layer,

wherein a first substance has a different band gap than a second substance, and

wherein the band gap of the first substance differs from the band gap of the second substance by at least 20 meV.