Flexible Indium Tin Oxide-Free Polymer Solar Cells with Silver Nanowire Electrodes

Flexible ITO-free conventional P3HT:PC₆₁BM solar cells with solution processed Ag nanowire (AgNW) transparent electrode are studied both experimentally and theoretically. The ITO based flexible polymer solar cells are first optimized according to the absorption spectrum, then the transparent electrode of the best devices are replaced by the various times spin coated AgNW thin film. The device with five times spin coated AgNW electrode exhibits the best power conversion efficiency (PCE), close to that of the best performance ITO based solar cell. The five times spin coated AgNW film has good transmission (∼83%), low sheet resistance R _s (∼9 Ω/sq), and high figure of merit (F.O.M.) of 16.64, close to the properties of ITO electrodes. The PCE of conventional flexible ITO based device can reach around 2.8% and the PCE of conventional flexible AgNW based device around 2.7%.