Poly-(3-hexylthiophene)/[6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester bilayer deposition by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation for organic photovoltaic applications

A poly-(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/[6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester (PCBM) bilayer structure has been realized by single step matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (ss-MAPLE) technique using the same solvent for both the polymers under vacuum conditions. Our ss-MAPLE procedure allows the fabrication of polymeric multilayer device stacks, which are very difficult to realize with the conventional solvent assisted deposition methods. A proof of concept bilayer P3HT/PCBM solar cell based on ss-MAPLE deposition has been realized and characterized. This demonstration qualifies ss-MAPLE as a general and alternative technique for the implementation of polymeric materials in hetero-structure device technology.