This document summarizes a seminar presentation on plastic solar cells. It begins with an introduction to plastic solar cells, which were first introduced in 1986 and use conducting plastics and flexible substrates. It then describes conventional solar cells made from semiconductors that have high efficiency but are expensive to produce. The working principle of a p-n junction in conventional solar cells is explained. Device architectures for plastic solar cells include simple metal-insulator-metal designs and more complex heterojunction designs. The working principle involves photons exciting electron-hole pairs that are split at interfaces. Advantages of plastic solar cells include lower cost of manufacturing and being more flexible. The conclusion is that plastic solar cells can work on cloudy days and are

1. S V COLLEG OF ENGINNERING
A
Seminar on
“Plastic Solar cell”
SUBMITTED BY
BADRI.MAHESH
(14BF5A0401)

2. Plastic solar cell

3. Introduction
•First introduced by Dr.Ching Tang at Kodak research labalotary in 1986.
•In 1977 discovery conducting plastics Prof.Alan Heegar.
•In 2000 : research of an advanced materials and structures
• (dye sensitized solar cell, organic solar cell)
•  cheap process , flexible substrate

4. Conventional solar cells
• A solar cell is a device that converts the light energy into electrical energy. Usually light from the sun is
used to generate electricity from such a device hence the name solar cell.
• Conventional Solar cells are built from semiconductors.
•Usually mono-crystalline or poly-crystalline materials are needed for higher
efficiency.
Advantage: High efficiency -up to 30% has been reached. Normally 10% for commercial product.
Disadvantage: Elaborate and very expensive method required to produce the material.

5. Working Principle
A p-n junction.
• When p-doped and n-doped semiconductors are
brought together, a depletion layer is formed
• The depletion layer sets up an electric field.
• Any charge in the field experiences a force
that sweeps it to the end of the depletion layer.

6. Action of Photons
• A photon excites an electron from the valence
band to the conduction band creating an
electron-hole pair.
• The excited electrons in the depletion layer
move towards the n-type end while the
holes move to the p-type end.
• This flow of charge drives the external load.

7. Uses
 Generating electricity for space vehicles.
• Power for facilities like repeater stations for tv, radio etc. in
remote locations.
Uses
• Alternative energy source for household purpose where
normal electricity is not feasible.
• Power source for small devices like pocket calculators.

8. Motivation:
A Burning Necessity
• Dwindling fossil fuels.
• Environmental hazards from other energy sources.
• Demand for portable energy source.
•Reliable energy source for remote places.

9. Device Architectures
• Simplest design uses organic semiconductor,
metal-insulatormetal (MIM) tunnel diode.
• The insulator typically is a conjugated
polymer.
• A more complicated design uses two
conducting polymers differing in electron
affinities forming heterojunction.

10. Working Principle
• Like in the semiconductors the electrons are
excited by thephotons creating electron-hole pair
• Unlike in the semiconductors
the electrons and the holes are not free to move.
They form excitons and move together.

12. Working Principle
(MIM Tunnel Diode)
• Conjugated polymers are analogous to inorganic semiconductors.
• The overlap of atomic pi orbitals gives rise to delocalized bonding
and antibonding pi orbital analogous to the valence band and
the conduction band.
• Energy gap between the bands is typically 1.5 – 3 eV which lies
in the range of the visible light.

13. Working Principle
• The paired charges are splitted at the interface using
electrodes of suitable workfunctions.
• Holes get collected at the high work function electrode
and the electrons get collected at the low work function
elctrode.
Drawbacks:
• Splitting is not efficient.
• Impurities like oxygen trap the excitons.
• Very low electron mobility, typically below 10-4 cm2 V-1s-1.

14. Working Principle
Heterojunction Diode
• An interface is created between conducting polymers with different
electron affinities.
• Such junctions are very effective in splitting the excitons.
Limitation:
• Life time of the excitons.
Only the excitons formed within ~10
nm of the junction can reach it.
• Interpenetrating networks of electron-accepting
and electrondonating polymers.

15. Advantages
 Manufacturing process and cost.
 Environmental impacts.
 Flexible substrate.
 Better chemical resistance.

16. Other uses of plastic
solar cell

17. Conclusion
•Plastic solar cells help in exploiting the infrared radiation from the suns rays.
They are more effective when compared to the conventional solar cell. The
major advantage that they can even work on cloudy days. They are more
compact and less bulkier.
•At present, cost is a major draw back, it is bound be solved in the future

18. oAs explained earlier, if the solar farms can become a reality, it
could possibly solve the planets problem of depending too much
on the fossil fuels, without a chance of even polluting the
environment.

19. Thank you