Transparent electrode, optoelectronic apparatus and devices

• US 6,936,761 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aeris Capital Sustainable IP, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nanosolar Incorporated
• Inventors: Pichler, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US10/403,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20040187917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 885 Days
• Field of Search: 136/256, 136/263, 136/252, 257/40, 257/81, 257/82, 257/431, 257/461, 257/99, 257/79, 438/98, 438/82, 438/99, 438/57
• US Class Current: 136/256
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022466 made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/82 Transparent electrodes, e.g. indium tin oxide [ITO] electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

Transparent conductive electrodes, optoelectronic apparatus, optoelectronic devices and methods for making such electrodes, apparatus and devices are disclosed. The transparent conducting electrode (TCE) includes a layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material and an array of electrically conductive wires distributed across the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material. The TCE may be made by distributing an array of conductive wires across a conductive polymer layer and attaching polymer layer to the wire array. An optoelectronic apparatus may comprise an active layer in electrical contact with the TCE. An optoelectronic device may incorporate an active layer disposed between two electrodes, at least one of which is the TCE. An optoelectronic device may be made by disposing an active layer between a base electrode and a TCE and attaching all three together.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic apparatus, comprising:

a transparent electrode having;

a layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material, and an array of electrically conductive wires distributed across the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material, wherein the electrically conductive wires are in electrical contact with the layer of transparent conducting material; and

an electrically insulating short-proofing material disposed between the wires and an underlying optoelectronically active layer, the short-proofing material being located at least at the middle and ends of the wires.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material is disposed between the optoelectronically active layer and the array of electrically conductive wires.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the array of electrically conductive wires is disposed between the optoelectronically active layer and the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a layer of transparent conducting oxide or an additional layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material in electrical contact with the array of wires and/or the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the short-proofing material is disposed between the array of wires and the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive disposed between the array of wires and the optoelectronically active layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the layer of transparent electrically conducring polymer material is chosen from the group of conductive polythiophencs, conductive polyanilines, conductive polypyrroles, PSS-doped PEDOT, a derivative of PEDOT, a derivative of polyaniline, or a derivative of polypyrrole.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the array of electrically conductive wires includes one or more wires having diameters of less than about 200 microns.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the array of electrically conductive wires includes one or more wires having diameters of less than about 100 microns.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the array of electrically conductive wires includes one or more wires having diameters of less than about 50 microns.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a thin layer of metal or alloy disposed between the transparent electrode and the active layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the thin layer of metal or alloy is less than about 15 nm thick.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the thin layer of metal or alloy has a work function that is less than or greater than a work function of the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a short-proofing material disposed between the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material and the optoelectronically active layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electrically conductive adhesive disposed between the wires and the layer of transparent elcctrically conducting material.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or more of the wires in the array is characterized by a cross-section flattened into an oval or elliptical shape.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein adjacent wires in the array are parallel to each other and spaced apart by a distance of less than about 5 cm.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein adjacent wires in the array are spaced apart by a distance of less than about 1 cm.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein adjacent wires in the array are spaced apart by a distance of less than about 5 mm.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein adjacent wires in the array are spaced apart by a distance of less than about 1 mm.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the array is characterized by a ratio of open area not covered by the wires in the array compared to an area covered by the wires in the array, wherein the ratio of open area is greater than 80%.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the ratio of open area is greater than 90%.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the ratio of open area is greater than 95%.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the array of wires includes a first set of wires running in a first direction and a second set of wires running in a second direction, wherein the second direction is different from the first direction, whereby the first and second sets of wires form a mesh having one or more openings.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein adjacent wires in the first set are parallel to each other and spaced apart by a first distance, wherein adjacent wires in the second set are parallel to each other and spaced apart by a second distance, wherein the first and second distances are chosen such that an open area ratio of the mesh is greater than about 80%.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optoelectronically active layer includes first and second semiconducting materials with different electron affinities, whereby the first and second materials have complementary charge transfer properties.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first and second semiconducting materials are regularly arrayed and wherein the presence of the first and second semiconducting materials alternates within distances of between about 5 nm and about 100 nm.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the first and second semiconducting materials are arrayed using nanostructures chosen from the group of filled pores, nanolamellas, or matrixed nanostructures.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a base electrode, wherein the active layer is disposed between the transparent electrode and the base electrode.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the apparatus is a photovoltaic device.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the apparatus is a solar cell.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the active layer includes one or more organic material.

33. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the active layer includes both organic and inorganic materials whereby the device is a hybrid organic-inorganic solar cell.

34. A method for making an optoelectronic apparatus, the method comprising:

forming a transparent conducting electrode by;

distributing an array of conductive wires across a layer of transparent conducting polymer such that the conductive wires make electrical contact with the conducting polymer material; and

attaching the conductive wires to the conductive polymer material, and disposing an electrically insulating short-proofing layer between the array of conductive wires and an underlying optoelectronically active layer, the short-proofing material being located at least at the middle and ends of the wires.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the array of conductive wires and/or the conductive polymer material are provided using a roll-to-roll process.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising, making electrical contact between the active layer and the transparent conducting electrode.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein making electrical contact between the optoelectronically active layer and the transparent conducting electrode includes forming a nanostructured porous layer on an underlying sheet using a technique selected from the group of intercalation and/or grafting of organic or polymeric molecules within a mineral lamellar network;

synthesis by electrocrystallisation of hybrid molecular assemblies;

impregnation of preformed inorganic gels;

synthesis from heterofunctional metallic alkoxides, metallic halides or silsesquioxannes;

synthesis of hybrid networks through the connection of well-defined functional nanobuilding blocks;

templated growth of inorganic or hybrid networks by using organic molecules and macromolecules as structure directing agents; and

templated growth using nanoparticles, followed by removal of the nanoparticles.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising filling pores in the nanostructured porous layer with a pore-filling material, wherein the nanostructured porous layer and pore-filling material have complementary charge transfer properties.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising curing the pore-filling material.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein providing a transparent conducting electrode includes forming the transparent conducting electrode over the active layer after curing the pore filling material, whereby the active layer is disposed between the substrate and the transparent conducting electrode.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein making electrical contact between the optoelectronically active layer and the transparent conducting electrode includes forming the active layer on an exposed surface of the transparent conducting electrode.

42. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

providing a base electrode;

disposing the active layer between the base electrode and the transparent conducting electrode; and

attaching the base electrode, active layer and transparent conducting electrode together such that the active layer is disposed between the base electrode and the transparent conducting electrode.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein disposing the optoelectronically active layer between the base electrode and the transparent conducting electrode includes forming a nano-architected porous film on the base electrode or on an interface layer disposed between the base electrode and the nano-architected porous film.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising filling pores in the nano-architected porous film with a pore-filling material, wherein the nano-architected porous film and the pore-filling material have complementary charge transfer properties.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising curing the pore-filling material.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein providing a transparent conducting electrode includes forming the transparent conducting electrode over the optoelectronically active layer after curing the pore filling material, whereby the optoelectronically active layer is disposed between the substrate and the transparent conducting electrode.

47. The method of claim 42, further comprising, disposing a transparent conducting oxide, a thin metal layer or an additional layer of transparent conducting polymer material between the array of conductive wires and the active layer.

48. An optoelectronic apparatus, comprising:

a transparent electrode having;

a layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material; and

an array of electrically conductive wires distributed across the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material, wherein the electrically conductive wires are in electrical contact with the layer of transparent conducting material;

an active layer including first and second semiconducting materials with different electron affinities, whereby the first and second materials have complementary charge transfer properties;

an electrically insulating short-proofing material disposed between the wires and the active layer, the short-proofing material being located at least at the middle and ends of the wires; and

a base electrode, wherein the active layer it disposed between the transparent conducting electrode and the base electrode,

wherein the active layer includes both organic and inorganic materials whereby the device is a hybrid organic-inorganic solar cell.