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INFRARED PLASTIC SOLAR CELL REVIEW

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AEGAEUM JOURNAL ISSN NO: 0776-3808

INFRARED PLASTIC SOLAR CELL REVIEW

Manoj Kumar1, Dharni Dhar Yadav2, Durgesh Yadav3 & Mashaba Singh4
1
Assistant Professor
ABES Engineering College, Ghaziabad, UP, India.
2, 3, 4
Student in Department of Mechanical Engineering
ABES Engineering College, Ghaziabad, UP, India.
1
manojkumar@abes.ac.in, 2dharni.17bme1064@abes.ac.in,
3
durgesh.17bme1123@abes.ac.in, 4mashaba.18bme3004@abes.ac.in

Abstract: As we all know that electricity is very essential to us now days. It is very difficult for us to survive without
electricity, with the help of electricity we are able to drive so many machines which are helpful to us but the biggest problem
is that what happens if the coal is exhausted? Because most of the electricity is generated by burning of coal in power plants.
Although burning of fossil fuels are the main cause of air pollution but there are many other ways to generate electricity for
example: Turbines, Windmills, Solar cells etc. Our main focus is the use of solar cell, as the sun is the ultimate source of
energy but we are able to consume only 1/10,000th part of sun’s energy. If we are able to consume its power more efficiently
then we are able to solve so many problems of our planet without polluting the environment. Now days we are able to
consume only Twenty percent of energy at most by CdTe solar panels but with the help of infrared plastic solar cell we can
make it 30 percent more efficient, even the best plastic solar cells efficiency is only 6 percent.

Keywords: PCBM, P3HT:C60, cadmium selenide, intrinsicallyconducting polymer (ICPs).

1. Introduction
We all know that, we are not able to harness sun’s energy in cloudy days but with the help of infrared
plastic solar cells we are able to do it. The basic origin of idea is that the visible rays of the sun are not
able to pass through clouds while the infrared rays are able to pass through it. The fundamental of
electricity by solar cell is photoelectric effect because sun light contains photons but the element we
are using now is silicon and cadmium which eject electron by getting the energy of a visible ray
photon. If we use those materials which eject electron by the photon of infrared region then we can
produce photoelectric effect even on cloudy days.

Sun
V i s i b l e I n f r a r e d

Earth

Figure 1. Division of sunlight

Review of literature: The first practical solar cell was publicly demonstrated at Bell Laboratories in
1954,the inventors were Calvin Souther Fuller, Daryl Chapin and Gerald Pearson but it has a
efficiency of only 6%.In 1990 the Institute of energy conversion at “University of Delaware” develops

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the first thin solar films exceeding 10% efficiency .Now a days the efficiency of commercial solar
panels is about 20% but these panels are bulky and costly and does not convert sunlight into electrical
energy on cloudy days.
After the discovery of conductive polymers in1887, a new type of solar cells is introduced this are
polymer solar cells or plastic solar cells. They are compact in size, lesser weight, more flexible than
conventional solar cell but they have poor efficiency of about 5% only which is lesser than
conventional solar cell. [1, 2, 6]
After getting the idea of plastic solar cell the work move towards that how should we increase its
efficiency? A solution has been found which is that if PCBM blend films spin coated using either
toluene or chlorobenzene then the efficiency of plastic solar cell increased as excepted but this is not
enough. [3]
A new ideation has been formed when Nanotechnology came into the picture because the properties
of elements totally differ at Nano level. [7]So we need to find those materials which are useful for us
at Nano level. A new plastic material was discovered which uses nanotechnology and contains the 1st
generation solar cells that can harness the sun's invisible infrared rays. Nano particles called quantum
dots are combined with a polymer to make the plastic that can detect energy in the infrared. [1, 2, 8,
13]
Their efficiencies have been improved but they are costly because of its manufacturing and low
production. But if we use screen printing technology then it will be easier to manufacture it and also
its cost will decrease drastically. [8, 10, 11]

2. Comparison of infrared &visible region

Radiation from the Sun, which is more popularly known as sunlight, is a mixture of electromagnetic
waves ranging from infrared (IR) to ultraviolet rays (UV). It, of course includes visible light, which is
in between IR and UV in the electromagnetic spectrum. In sunlight, there is about 44% of visible
radiation and 53% of infrared radiation and rest is ultraviolet. [13]

Figure 2. Spectrum of solar radiation (Earth)

The understanding and control of matter at dimensions between 1 to 100 nm which involves imaging,
measuring, modelling and manipulating matter at this length is called as nanotechnology. [7]
There are so many elements whose behaviour is changed at nanoscale. It is observed sometimes that
the conductor act as an insulator at nanoscale and vice versa. The colour of gold at nanoscale is
observed as red, orange and sometimes blue when shape and sizes changes. We prefer
nanotechnology because CdSe (cadmium selenide) which is used as a nanorod in plastic solar cell for
transportation of electron becomes efficient and with sizes below 10 nm. At Nanoscale the material
becomes stronger and more efficient.
In order to the miniaturization of integrated circuits well into the present century, it is likely that
present day, Nano-scale or Nano electronic device designs will be replaced with new designs for

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devices that take advantage of the quantum mechanical effects that dominate on the much smaller,
nanometre scale .[2]
Quantum dots: These are tiny semiconductor particles of nanoscale their optical and electronic
properties differ from the bulky particles when a light ray strike upon the quantum dot an electron can
be excited to higher energy order. [14]
Infrared plastic solar cell: The organic polymer which conducts electricity is called conductive
polymers or intrinsically conducting polymer (ICPs).
In 1977,Alan J.Heeger, Alan Mac Diarmid and Hideki shirakawa reported similar high conductivity in
oxidized iodine doped polyacetylene for research ,they were awarded in 2000 Nobel prize in
chemistry” for discovery and development of conductive polymers”.
As we have discussed earlier that half of the sun’s power lies in infrared region so this new material is
able to harness infrared portion. The researchers combined specially designed Nano particles called
quantum dots with a conduction polymer which can detect the invisible infrared light. Its particle is
slightly based upon the first generation solar cells, i.e. silicon based solar panels (1950). [1][2]
Structure and design:Its structure has mainly three parts;
(1) Upper electrode(ITO)
(2) Polymer and nanorod(P3HT &PCBM)
(3) Lower electrode(Al,Mg,Ca)

Today’s semiconductor based photovoltaic devices i.e. plastic solar cells can be manufactured in the
solution without any need of heavy machinery, clean rooms or vacuum chambers. It is also
manufactured by newly developed technology i.e. printing of solar cells. As we have discussed earlier
about nanotechnology that recent developments have been made in the field of nanotechnology. So it
is easier for us to develop nanorods and Nanocrystals. Nanorods are 7 nanometre and length of about
60 nm. These nanorods are embedded in the layer of a polymer P3HT (poly-3-hexylthiophene) which
is a conducting polymer suitable for this job because of their covalent bond it has the tendency to flow
electrons. The upper electrode is made up of ITO, ZnO etc. and the lower side is made up of
aluminium or magnesium which acts as an electrode and the nanorods act as a wire.

3. Screen printing technology

Printing technology was invented by Gutenberg in 1545, more than four hundred and fifty years ago.
If printing technology could be used for the fabrication of solar cells, then we could produce low-cost,
high efficiency solar cells in large quantities. In screen printing technology, the wafer based solar
photovoltaic (PV) cells, the mesh, the buses of silver are printed on the front; furthermore the buses of
silver are printed on the back. Subsequently aluminium paste is dispensed over the whole surface of
back for passivation and surface reflection. One of the parameters that can vary and can be controlled
in screen printing is the thickness of print. This makes it useful for some of the techniques of printing
solar cells, electronics etc.
From this standpoint, is the supreme technology for mass production of infrared plastic solar cell? The
screen printing technology allows us to regulate the amount of substrate received by certain area in
the production of large area energy system. It is required for us to manufacture a number of solar cell
connected together.
In industrial process, the thickness of film is generally greater than 0.5 mm. the thickness of polymer
layer is manufactured by screen printing is less than 100mm,the organic light emitting diode as the
entire transport layer have recently shown.
When Poly(ethylene dioxythiophene) in a 150 nm thick film doped with polystyrene sulphuric acid
[(PEDOT:PSS),Bayer]is spin cast from aqueous solution to a first indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass
substrate, whereas the thickness of ITO is 120 nm. The transmission of the visible range is about 85%
to 90% transmission. The PEDOT: PSS] layer was dried in vacuum at 140 degree Celsius for 3 hours.
A conjugated polymer [poly(2-methoxy-5-(3,7 dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenyl enevinylene)] blends
(MDMO-PPV) and methanofullerene ([6,6]-C61-phenyl-butyric acid methyl ester)(1:4) by weight
(PCBM),then deposited onto a PEDOT:PSS layer from the average thickness of the screen printing
techniques in chlorobenzene in the active layer above the surface of 40 nm described as screen
printing process. During deposition the screen is placed over the substrate after loading polymer
solution in screen to make a slow sweep of rubber pad over the screen. [2,8,11]

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As the pattern allows the substrate to flow and take the shape of pattern and left to dry. After which
we simply connect all of them together using micro technology.

Figure 4. Basic screen printing

5. Working
The polymer (P3HT) layer which is only 200 nm thick (a thousandth the thickness of a human hair)is
sandwiched between the two electrodes and can produce 0.7 volt at present. If the nanorods and
electrode applied in separate coats then it makes the manufacturing easier.[1,2]
When the light strike upon the transparent ITO electrode its passes through it and its photon is
absorbed by (P3HT) and PCBM polymer which excites an electron to jump to the upper energy level
and due to the covalent bonding which is formed by sharing of electron. The electron is trapped by
CdSe nanorods and move downwards to create negative potential and for positive potential the holes
move upwards.[8]

6. Basic Mechanism
The absorption band of (P3HT)/PCBM ( 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 covers
the range from 380nm to 670nm.Which means the photon of energy 2.0ev and 3.3ev can be formed. It
is calculated by the help of Einstein equation (E=h*c/w) where h=Planck’s constant=speed of light,
w=wavelength. [14]
To absorb this photon a material of lower band gap is required. A great success have been made in the
past decades by the help of nanotechnology.[3, 4, 5]
The LUMO (Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital) and HOMO (Highest Occupied Molecular
Orbital) of (P3HT) is higher than that of PCBM. The excitation will separate into electron and holes at
the interface of P3HT &PCBM phase. Since the lowest molecular orbital of (P3HT) is higher than that
of PCBM and the highest molecular orbital of PCBM is lower than highest of (P3HT).

The electron lies at HOMO while the LUMO is vacant, after getting specific amount of energy the
electron will jump to the LUMO leaving a hole behind. [11]
When a photon of 2 eV strikes over the interface it gets absorbed and transfers its energy to the
electron of P3HT and PCBM both. They have energy difference of about 2ev to LUMO. Hence the
electrons goes upwards leaving a hole behind and if the energy of photon is 3.3eV then it gets
absorbed by the electron of PCBM and the excited electron reached at the LUMO of P3HT filling the
gap of 3.3eV due to this phenomenon a positive and negative interface is generated both the sides and
we attached it by any electrode which creates a potential difference. By this mechanism we get
electricity as a semiconductor model.

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Figure 5

If the offset between states is too small then it is difficult for us to create potential difference because
separation of charge can’t be easily achieved and if the offset is too large then the electron did not get
the proper energy from the sunlight to jump to the higher level.
So we need to choose the material which has a proper difference in atomic energy level which meet
our requirement.[9]

7. APPLICATIONS
 Any solar cell chip when placed over cell phones, can power cell phones and other devices.
 It will be used to power light houses in sea.
 It is painted on a hydrogen power car where it can continuously convert into electrical energy.
 Due to its compact size it is used in mass energy generation that it should power a whole area.
 It will be used in ships for electricity generation while sailing.

8. ADVANTAGES
 They are 30%more efficient to conventional plastic solar cell.
 Conventional solar cells are bulky panels, it is compact.[1, 2]
 It can be modified into any shape such that it is sewn into fabrics.[12]
 Lesser material is required for manufacturing.
 No bigger plants are required for production.
 It is useful for those areas where there is always a cloudy climate.
 They are flexible such that they can be modified into any desired shape.[12]

9. LIMITATIONS
 The biggest problem is cost effectiveness, but if the production increases then cost will
decrease.
 Cadmium Selenide is toxic in nature.
 It has a life time of 5 to 7 year, if continuously exposed to sunlight.[6]
 It requires constant monitoring and maintenance due to its weak strength.

10. CONCLUSION
The infrared plastic solar cells are compact in nature. No bigger plants are required for
manufacturing and they are able to generate electricity even on cloudy days. If the
manufacturing of Nano technology based equipment increases then it is easier for us to
manufacture it. In near future it may be possible that some methods will be developed to
increase its life span. It is modified into any shape and size above Nano level. There is no
restriction of installation due to its light weight and also it is easier to transport it from one
place to another place and due to printing technology it is cheaper than the conventional solar
cell.
We did not require a big budget.

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