Polymer Hybrid Photovoltaics for Inexpensive Electricity Generation: Final Technical Report, 1 September 2001--30 April 2006

The project goal is to understand the operating mechanisms underlying the performance of polymer hybrid photovoltaics to enable the development of a photovoltaic with a maximum power conversion efficiency over cost ratio that is significantly greater than current PV technologies. Plastic or polymer-based photovoltaics can have significant cost advantages over conventional technologies in thatthey are compatible with liquid-based plastic processing and can be assembled onto plastic under atmospheric conditions (ambient temperature and pressure) using standard printing technologies, such as reel-to-reel and screen printing. Moreover, polymer-based PVs are lightweight, flexible, and largely unbreakable, which make shipping, installation, and maintenance simpler. Furthermore, anumerical simulation program was developed (in collaboration with IBM) to fully simulate the performance of multicomponent polymer photovoltaic devices, and a manufacturing method was developed (in collaboration with Add-vision) to inexpensively manufacture larger-area devices.