Ag Doped Zinc Tin Oxide as Cathode for Organic Photovoltaic Cells

A thin Ag layer embedded between layers of zinc tin oxide (ZTO) are compared to cells using an indium tin oxide electrode was investigated for inverted organic bulk heterojunction solar cells employing a multilayer electrode. ZTO/Ag/ ZTO (ZAZ) electrode is the preparation at room temperature, a high transparency in the visible part of the spectrum, and a very low sheet resistance comparable to treated ITO without the need for any thermal post deposition treatment as it is necessary for ITO. The In-free ZAZ electrodes exhibit a favorable work function of 4.3 eV and are shown to allow for excellent electron extraction even without a further interlayer. This renders ZAZ a perfectly suited bottom electrode for inverted organic solar cells with simplified cell architecture.