Demonstration of hybrid prototype sealant for encapsulating organic photovoltaics

Abstract

Technical and economic viability of photovoltaic (PV) technology are governed by three parameters: efficiency, cost and lifetime. Since its inception, the main driver in organic photovolatics (OPV) research has been towards achieving high efficiency. Continued effort was fructified as achievement of 10 % efficiency, which was considered as a break-even point for commercial viability. Shifting of focus to lifetime is a next logical step. Increase lifetime of OPV by reliable encapsulation enhances technical feasibility and economic viability. So far, focus has been given on encapsulation barrier films, and little effort has been made on sealants; of this limited effort, the testing of existing commercial sealants is the general trend. Requirements of Sealants for OPV encapsulation include compatibility with low-cost and low-temperature OPV processing, lightness, flexibility, transparency, as well as thermal and UV stability. Hybrid sealants take advantages of good permeability of inorganic sealants and flexibility of organic sealants. In this contribution, we report on the demonstration of new flexible hybrid prototype sealants by calcium corrosion test. Sealants are screen-printable, flexible and can be cured at 130 °C in 15 minutes. Sealing capability of our hybrid sealants was compared with commercial silicone based hybrid sealant, i.e. polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).