Influence of temperature on charge carrier generation in P3HT: PCBM tandem organic solar cell devices

The performance and stability of ITO/PEDOT:PSS Layer 2/P3HT: PCBM Layer 1/ZnO/interface/PEDOT:PSS Layer 1/P3HT: PCBM Layer 2/aluminium tandem organic solar cells are significantly influenced by the thermal annealing process. This study mainly focuses on how the annealing temperature changes the efficiency and overall performance of the solar cells. By systematically varying the working temperature, we investigate its impact on the electrical properties of the active layer, which directly correlates with the device’s photovoltaic performance. The results demonstrate that an optimal temperature improves the charge mobility and reduces recombination. These findings provide valuable insights into the thermal processing P3HT: PCBM tandem organic solar cells, offering a pathway to enhance their durability and practical viability for large-scale solar energy applications. By methodically varying the annealing temperature, we aim to understand the relationship between the temperature and key performance metrics, such as short-circuit current density (J_SC), open-circuit voltage (V_OC), fill factor (FF) and overall power conversion efficiency (PCE). V_OC and J_SC value decrease linearly with increasing temperature. Simulation results show that at 290 K, the device achieves its highest performance with a V_OC of 0.923 V, J_SC of −3.15 mA cm⁻², a fill factor of 39.3% and a PCE of 1.14%. This result paves the way for various opportunities to enhance the performance of P3HT: PCBM based organic solar cells.