Abstract:
Photovoltaics deal with harnessing sunlight and subsequent conversion into
electrical energy. Efficient photovoltaic solar cells based on inorganic semiconductors have
developed considerably [1] since the first realization of silicon solar cells in 1954 from Bell
Laboratory [2]. To date, silicon based cells with power conversion efficiency up to 30 –
40% are still leading technology in the photovoltaic market. However, the costs of silicon
based cells are still not comparable to other conventional sources of energy, primarily due to
the large-area requirement of harnessing the sunlight. An approach for roll to roll
production of solar cells at low cost is to utilize as organic semiconducting materials that
can be processed under less demanding conditions. Research on organic based photovoltaics
have been pursued for more than 20 years, however, within the last decade this research
field has made considerable improvement with higher efficiency and reliability to make it
commercially feasible [3, 4], [5].
