US2013153032A1PendingUtilityA1

Polymer wrapped carbon nanotube near-infrared photovoltaic devices

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Assignee: FORREST STEPHEN RPriority: May 1, 2008Filed: May 20, 2011Published: Jun 20, 2013
Est. expiryMay 1, 2028(~1.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Stephen R. ForrestMichael Scott ArnoldJeramy D. Zimmerman
H10K 30/211H10K 30/50Y02E10/549B82Y 10/00H10K 85/621H10K 85/221H10K 85/211H10K 85/114H10K 30/30H10K 30/20H01L 51/424
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Claims

Abstract

A photovoltaic device includes a photoactive region disposed between and electrically connected to two electrodes where the photoactive region includes photoactive polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes that create excitons upon absorption of light in the range of about 400 nm to 1400 nm.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a first electrode;   a second electrode; and   a photoactive region disposed between and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode,   wherein the photoactive region comprises a photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes disposed within an organic semiconductor material, whereby the organic semiconductor material and the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes form a bulk heterojunction layer,   wherein the carbon nanotubes themselves are photoactive.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the organic semiconductor material in the bulk heterojunction layer is an electron acceptor type material with respect to the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes are substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes are wrapped with a photoactive polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes create excitons upon absorption of light in the range of about 400 nm to 1400 nm. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the electron acceptor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of evaporated C 60 , [84]PCBM ([6,6]-Phenyl C 84  butyric acid methyl ester), F16-CuPc, PTCBI, PTCDA, Poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline), TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane), and F4-TCNQ (tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane). 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the organic semiconductor material in the bulk heterojunction layer is an electron donor type material with respect to the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes are substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes are wrapped with a photoactive polymer. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes create excitons upon absorption of light in the range of about 400 nm to 1400 nm. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the electron donor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of BTEM-PPV (Poly(2,5-bis(1,4,7,10-tetraoxaundecyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene), Poly(3-decyloxythiophene), CuPc (copper phthalocyanine), NPD (4,4′-bis(N-(1-napthyl)phenylamino)biphenyl), pentacene, and tetracene. 
     
     
         12 . A photovoltaic device comprising:
 a first electrode;   a second electrode; and   a photoactive region disposed between and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, the photoactive region further comprising:
 a donor layer formed above the first electrode; 
 a bulk heterojunction layer formed above the donor layer, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer comprises photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes disposed within an organic semiconductor material; and 
 an acceptor layer formed above the bulk heterojunction layer, wherein the carbon nanotubes themselves are photoactive. 
   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the donor layer comprises a donor material of photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the acceptor layer comprises an acceptor material of photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the organic semiconductor material in the bulk heterojunction layer is an electron acceptor type material with respect to the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the electron acceptor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of evaporated C 60 , [84]PCBM ([6,6]-Phenyl C 84  butyric acid methyl ester), F16-CuPc, PTCBI, PTCDA, Poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline), TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane), and F4-TCNQ (tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane). 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the organic semiconductor material in the bulk heterojunction layer is an electron donor type material with respect to the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the electron donor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of BTEM-PPV (Poly(2,5-bis(1,4,7,10-tetraoxaundecyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene), Poly(3-decyloxythiophene), CuPc (copper phthalocyanine), NPD (4,4′-bis(N-(1-napthyl)phenylamino)biphenyl), pentacene, and tetracene. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes are substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes are wrapped with a photoactive polymer. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising an exciton blocking layer provided between the acceptor layer and the second electrode. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising an exciton blocking layer provided between the donor layer and the first electrode. 
     
     
         23 . A device comprising:
 a first electrode;   a second electrode; and   a photoactive region disposed between and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode,   wherein the photoactive region comprises a first bulk heterojunction layer and a second bulk heterojunction layer,   the first bulk heterojunction layer comprising photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes disposed within a first organic semiconductor material that is an electron donor type material with respect to the polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes,   the second bulk heterojunction layer comprising photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes disposed within a second organic semiconductor material that is an electron acceptor type material with respect to the polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes,   wherein the carbon nanotubes themselves are photoactive.   
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the photoactive substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes are substantially semiconducting polymer-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the polymer-wrapped single wall carbon nanotubes are wrapped with a photoactive polymer. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the electron acceptor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of evaporated C 60 , [84]PCBM ([6,6]-Phenyl C 84  butyric acid methyl ester), F16-CuPc, PTCBI, PTCDA, Poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline), TCNQ (7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane), and F4-TCNQ (tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane). 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the electron donor type organic semiconductor material is selected from one of BTEM-PPV (Poly(2,5-bis(1,4,7,10-tetraoxaundecyl)-1,4-phenylenevinylene), Poly(3-decyloxythiophene), CuPc (copper phthalocyanine), NPD (4,4′-bis(N-(1-napthyl)phenylamino)biphenyl), pentacene, and tetracene.

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