Understanding Printed Hexagonal Contacts for Large Area Solar Cells through Simulation and Experiments

Since their conception, organic electronic semiconductors have promised large area optoelectronic devices that can be mass produced at a fraction of the cost and embodied energy made from traditional semiconductors. However, upscaling small lab-scale fabrication techniques to roll-to-roll (R2R) production has proved substantial challenge. At heart this problem is need for low cost, reliable contacts which readily printed. Device performance often limited by contacts, in terms charge extraction efficiency morphological compatibility sequentially deposited layers. Herein, high-speed R2R flexographic gravure printing are combined with numerical device modeling understand printed silver hexagonal how contact design affect final performance. A strategy presented we dub “virtual upscaling” whereby virtually evaluated an active layer material/device structure before full stack Through methodology, set general rules developed applied when experimentally optimizing devices. This approach potential significantly reduce number iterations thus print runs structure.