Optoelectronic device and frabrication method

Abstract

Charge-splitting networks, optoelectronic devices, methods for making optoelectronic devices, power generation systems utilizing such devices and method for making charge-splitting networks are disclosed. An optoelectronic device may include a porous nano-architected (e.g., surfactant-templated) film having interconnected pores that are accessible from both the underlying and overlying layers. A pore-filling material substantially fills the pores. The interconnected pores have diameters of about 1-100 nm and are distributed in a substantially uniform fashion with neighboring pores separated by a distance of about 1-100 nm. The nano-architected porous film and the pore-filling material have complementary charge-transfer properties with respect to each other, i.e., one is an electron-acceptor and the other is a hole-acceptor. The nano-architected porous, film may be formed on a substrate by a surfactant temptation technique such as evaporation-induced self-assembly. A solar power generation system may include an array of such optoelectronic devices in the form of photovoltaic cells with one or more cells in the array having one or more porous charge-splitting networks disposed between an electron-accepting electrode and a hole-accepting electrode.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . A method for making an optoelectronic device, the method comprising: 
 forming a porous, film on a substrate by a surfactant temptation technique,    wherein the porous film includes interconnected pores that are substantially uniformly distributed    wherein the pores have diameters of between about 1 nm and about 100 nm, and    wherein neighboring pores are separated by between about 1 nm and about 100 nm; and    substantially filling the pores in the porous film with a pore-filling material,    wherein the porous film and the pore-filling material have complementary charge transfer properties with respect to each other.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the surfactant-templation technique includes: 
 disposing a sol on a substrate, wherein the sol includes one or more alkoxides, one or more surfactants, one or more condensation inhibitors, water, and ethanol,    evaporating the ethanol from the sol to form the surfactant-templated porous film.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sol is disposed on the substrate by web coating, dip coating, spin coating or spray coating.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 heating the surfactant templated porous film to a temperature sufficient to decompose the surfactant molecules while remaining within the thermal stability range of the substrate.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 annealing the surfactant-templated porous film after heating the surfactant templated porous film to a temperature sufficient to decompose the surfactant molecules.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the one or more alkoxides include titanium ethoxide or titanium isopropoxide, the one or more surfactants include p123, hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), or F127, and the one or more condensation inhibitors include hydrochloric acid (HCl).  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the alkoxide is titanium ethoxide, the surfactant is Pluronic p123, and HCl is the condensation inhibitor.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the alkoxide is titanium tetra-isopropoxide, the surfactant is Pluronic p123, and HCl is the condensation inhibitor.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the initial sol is prepared by refluxing the titanium tetra-isopropoxide, ethanol, water and HCl, at approximately 60° C.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the surfactant-templated porous film includes a material chose from the group of Titania (TiO2) zinc oxide (ZnO2), zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, niobium oxide, tungsten oxide, strontium oxide, calcium/titanium oxide, sodium titanate and potassium niobate.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the pore filling material includes a material chosen from the group of poly(phenylene) and derivatives thereof, poly(phenylene vinylene) and derivatives thereof (e.g., poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene (MEH-PPV), poly(para-phenylene vinylene), (PPV)), poly(thiophene) and derivatives thereof (e.g., poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), regiorandom, Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom), poly(thienylenevinylene) and derivatives thereof, and poly(isothianaphthene) and derivatives thereof, organometallic polymers, polymers containing perylene units, poly(squaraines) and their derivatives.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the pore-filling material includes a material chosen from the group of organic pigments or dyes, azo-dyes having azo chromofores (—N═N—) linking aromatic groups, phthalocyanines including metal-free phthalocyanine; (HPc), perylenes, naphthalocyanines, squaraines, merocyanines and their respective derivatives, poly(silanes), poly(germinates), 2,9-Di(pent-3-yl)-anthra[2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d′e′f′]diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone, and 2,9-Bis-(1-hexyl-hept-1-yl)-anthra[2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d′e′f′]diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the pore-filling material includes an inorganic material.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the inorganic material includes copper oxide or another metal oxide.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 16  wherein substantially filling the pores includes infiltrating the pores with a solution containing a polymer and an organic solvent.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the polymer is a chosen from the group of poly(phenylene) and derivatives thereof, poly(phenylene vinylene) and derivatives thereof (e.g., poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene (MEH-PPV), poly(para-phenylene vinylene), (PPV)), poly(thiophene) and derivatives thereof (e.g., poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), regiorandom, Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular, Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom), poly(thienylenevinylene) and derivatives thereof, and poly(isothianaphthene) and derivatives thereof, organometallic polymers, polymers containing perylene units, poly(squaraines) and their derivatives.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the polythiophene is poly 3-hexylthiophene (P3HT).  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising, after infiltrating the pores with the solution, incubating the surfactant-templated porous film at an infiltration temperature of about 200° C. for about 30 minutes.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 covering the porous film with a layer of charge-transport material, wherein the layer of charge-transport material contacts the pore-filling material that substantially fills the pores in the porous film.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 electrically contacting the charge-transport material with an electrode.    
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the surfactant temptation technique includes evaporation-induced self-assembly.  
   
   
       37 - 39 . (canceled)  
   
   
       40 . A method for making a charge-splitting network, the method comprising:. 
 forming a porous nano-architected, film on a substrate by, and    substantially filling the pores in the porous nano-architected film with a pore-filling material,    wherein the porous nano-architected film includes interconnected pores that are substantially uniformly distributed,    wherein the pores have diameters of between about 1 nm and about 100 nm, and    wherein neighboring pores are separated by between about 1 nm and about 100 nm,    wherein the interconnected pores in the surfactant-templated film are accessible from an underlying layer and/or overlying layer,    wherein the porous film and the pore-filling material have complementary charge transfer properties with respect to each other.    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the porous-nano-architected film is produced using one or more techniques selected from the following group: 
 intercalation and/or grafting of organic or polymeric molecules within a mineral lamellar network;    synthesis by electrocrystallisation of hybrid molecular assemblies;    impregnation of preformed inorganic gels,    synthesis from heterofunctional metallic alkoxides or silsesquioxannes,    synthesis of hybrid through the connection of well defined functional nanobuilding blocks, and    templated growth of inorganic or hybrid networks by using organic molecules and macromolecules including surfactants, amines, alkyl ammonium ions, amphiphilic molecules, as structure directing agents.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the alkoxides, surfactants, condensation inhibitors, water, and ethanol are in molar ratios in the following ranges: 
 Surfactant/alkoxide: a molar ratio ranging from about 1×10−7 to about 0.1,    Ethanol/alkoxide: a molar ratio ranging from about 3 to about 20,    Condensation Inhibitor/alkoxide: a molar ranging ratio from about 1.5×10−5 to about 5.0,    water/alkoxide: a molar ratio ranging from about 1 to about 20.