Effective variables to control the fill factor of organic photovoltaic cells.

Effective cell design variables having a large impact on the fill factor (FF) of organic photovoltaic cells (OPVCs) were systematically identified using a general device structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT + PCBM/LiF/Al. The results show that the characteristic properties of the organic layer, such as morphology and thickness, the regioregularity of the conjugated polymer, and the two interfaces between the electrodes and the blend layer have a large influence on the FF by affecting the series resistance (R(s)) and the shunt resistance (R(sh)). The systematic investigation described in this contribution provides a comprehensive understanding of the correlation between the device variables and R(s) and R(sh) and a way to control FF, which is critically important to achieving a high-performance OPVC.