Influence of surface morphology evolution of SubPc layers on the performance of SubPc/C60 organic photovoltaic cells

In this study, small-molecule organic solar cells based on choloro[subphthalocyaninato]boron (III) (SubPc) as an electron donor and fullerene (C60) as an electron acceptor were fabricated by varying the thickness, d, of the SubPc layer. The power conversion efficiency was maximized to 1.8% at d ∼ 130 Å due to the relatively large values of the short-circuit current density (JSC) and fill factor (FF). This optimal thickness was also strongly related to the surface morphology evolution of the SubPc thin films. The corrugated surface nanostructures were continually formed until the thickness of the film increased up to 130 Å, which is advantageous for the formation of an interdigitated electron donor-acceptor interface. In contrast, for films thicker than 130 Å, the corrugated surface structures were filled with subsequently deposited molecules, leading to a smoother morphology and consequently reduced JSC and FF value of the cells.