Reliability and Physics Failure of Stretchable Organic Solar Cells

Abstract

Organic solar (OPV) cells are cheap electronics that can replace the widely used high cost silicon-based electronics for electricity generation. They are cheap because of the easy techniques involved in their fabrication processes and they can be produced to cover a large surface area. However, the current low performance of organic electronics has been traced to failure due to interfacial adhesion problems, material processes, and service conditions. Therefore, transportation of charge carriers across the bulk heterojunction system of OPV cells becomes very difficult in the presence of these flaws. In this paper a combined experimental and computational technique is used to study the reliability and physics failure of stretchable OPV cells. Interfacial adhesion energies in the layered structures of OPV cells are measured and compared with theoretical estimated energies. The limit stresses/strains applied on layered OPV cells during service condition are estimated using critical values of the measured interfacial adhesion. The results obtained are, therefore, explained to improve the design of reliable OPV cells.