Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 36, 295-300 (2006)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:2006127

The influence of molecular weight distribution on the optimal thermal treatment of poly(3-hexythiophene) based bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells^*

¹ Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Polymères de Pau (LPCP), CNRS UMR 5067, IPREM FR CNRS 2606, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc, 2 Av. P. Angot, 64053 Pau Cedex 9, France
² CEA-Saclay, Laboratoire Cellules et Composants, DRT-LITEN-GENEC, Bât. 451, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
³ Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, CNRS UMR 5034, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc, 2 Av. P. Angot, 64053 Pau Cedex, France

Corresponding author: roger.hiorns@univ-pau.fr

Received: 6 July 2006
Accepted: 14 September 2006
Published online: 8 November 2006

Abstract

Chlorobenzene cast films of poly(3-hexylthiophene)-blend-[6,6]-phenyl C₆₁ butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT-blend-PCBM) in 1:1 ratios were used in photovoltaic cells with the structure glass/ITO/PEDOT-blend-PSS/P3HT-blend-PCBM/LiF/Al. By varying the molecular weights of the P3HTs from 4500 to 280 000 g mol⁻¹, it was found that P3HT molecular weight distributions had an important impact on cell characteristics and the most effective annealing temperature required.