Reliability and Physics Failure of Stretchable Organic Solar Cells
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Reliability and Physics Failure of Stretchable Organic Solar Cells O. K. Oyewole1, 2, D. O. Oyewole3, M. G. Zebaze Kana1 and W. O. Soboyejo 4, 5, 6 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kwara State University, Malete, P.M.B 1530, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. 2 Department of Theoretical and Applied Physics, African University of Science and Technology, Km 10, Airport Road, Galadimawa, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. 3 Physics Advanced Laboratory, Sheda Science and Technology Complex, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. 4 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, USA. 5 Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University Princeton, USA. 6 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, Km 10, Airport Road, Galadimawa, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. ABSTRACT Organic solar (OPV) cells are cheap electronics that can replace the widely used high cost silicon-based electronics for electricity generation. They are cheap because of the easy techniques involved in their fabrication processes and they can be produced to cover a large surface area. However, the current low performance of organic electronics has been traced to failure due to interfacial adhesion problems, material processes, and service conditions. Therefore, transportation of charge carriers across the bulk heterojunction system of OPV cells becomes very difficult in the presence of these flaws. In this paper a combined experimental and computational technique is used to study the reliability and physics failure of stretchable OPV cells. Interfacial adhesion energies in the layered structures of OPV cells are measured and compared with theoretical estimated energies. The limit stresses/strains applied on layered OPV cells during service condition are estimated using critical values of the measured interfacial adhesion. The results obtained are, therefore, explained to improve the design of reliable OPV cells. INTRODUCTION Stretchable organic solar cells have emerged as interesting technologies where stretchability is considered important [1-11]. However, mechanical flexibility is a pre-requisite to achieve stretchable solar cells, where wrinkling and buckling deformations are used to create wavy, out of plane structures that can accommodate strain. This is done by pre-stretching the substrates [4, 7] before the deposition of the devices. The wrinkled and delamination-induced buckled structures of the devices are formed due to pre-stretch [4, 7] stress. The formation and deformation of wrinkling of thin films can then initiate failure that can overthrow the reliability of the devices. Therefore, the basic understanding of deformation on the performance of stretchable solar cells becomes necessary. In this paper, a combined computational/analytical and experimental method is used to study the failure of stretchable organic solar cells. The results are then used to explain the reliability of the stretcha
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