Spatially resolved photocurrent mapping of operating organic photovoltaic devices using atomic force photovoltaic microscopy

• Published in: Applied physics letters Vol. 92; no. 1; pp. 013302 - 013302-3
• Main Authors: Leever, B. J., Durstock, M. F., Irwin, M. D., Hains, A. W., Marks, T. J., Pingree, L. S. C., Hersam, M. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Institute of Physics 07-01-2008
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.2830695

A conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) technique, atomic force photovoltaic microscopy (AFPM), has been developed to characterize spatially localized inhomogeneities in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. In AFPM, a biased cAFM probe is raster scanned over an array of illuminated solar cells, simultaneously generating topographic and photocurrent maps. As proof of principle, AFPM is used to characterize
7.5
×
7.5
μ
m
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poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl-
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-butyric acid methyl ester OPVs, revealing substantial device to device and temporal variations in the short-circuit current. The flexibility of AFPM suggests applicability to nanoscale characterization of a wide range of optoelectronically active materials and devices.