Development and scale-up of very low-cost, light-weight, flexible solar cells Navy SBIR FY2010.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2010.2 Topic No.: N102-174 Topic Title: Development and scale-up of very low-cost, light-weight, flexible solar cells Proposal No.: N102-174-0883 Firm: Soluxra, LLC 18251 58th Ave., NE Kenmore, Washington 98028-8719 Contact: Hin-Lap Yip Phone: (206) 359-0683 Abstract: The overall objective of the proposal is to use an integrated approach combining material, interface, device, and process engineering to demonstrate high-performance OPV module fabricated from all-solution and ambient process. The specific objectives of the program can be enumerated as follows: 1) Optimize current Soluxra's donor and acceptor materials to improve the performance and morphological stability of OPV with target PCE of > 8% for small area device (10 mm2). 2) Fabricate an OPV module with inverted device architecture using all solution deposition methods under ambient processes. Develop new charge selective materials for an interfacial layer to reduce interfacial recombination loss and enhance the interfacial stability and charge selectivity at the charge collecting electrodes for inverted OPV. 3) Demonstrate a new transparent electrode with high transparency (>85%), low sheet resistance (< 10 ohm/sq), and superior mechanically robustness for flexible OPV. 4) Implement new PV materials in inverted device structures for highly efficient and stable devices. Further optimize a complete device architecture including active layers, buffer layers, electrode and encapsulation to demonstrate a 4% PCE module with a translational efficiency (module/champion cell) of >60%. Benefits: Soluxra's OPV technology will be benefited by this program to bring down the solar electricity cost to a competitive level with current fossil-based energy. The ultimate electricity cost of organic photovoltaic technology is dependent on three critical parameters including: 1) Efficiency; 2) Production cost and; 3) Lifetime. Soluxra's patent-protected organic photovoltaic technology will be strengthened by this program to develop much clearer competitive advantages in all three key factors. The availability of light-weight, flexible, and low-cost solar cells would significantly increase adoption of solar technologies in the military. Return