title: High-performance NiO/Ag/NiO transparent electrodes for flexible organic photovoltaic cells.
abstract: Transparent electrodes with a dielectric-metal-dielectric (DMD) structure can be implemented in a simple manufacturing process and have good optical and electrical properties. In this study, nickel oxide (NiO) is introduced into the DMD structure as a more appropriate dielectric material that has a high conduction band for electron blocking and a low valence band for efficient hole transport. The indium-free NiO/Ag/NiO (NAN) transparent electrode exhibits an adjustable high transmittance of ∼82% combined with a low sheet resistance of ∼7.6 Ω·s·q(-1) and a work function of 5.3 eV after UVO treatment. The NAN electrode shows excellent surface morphology and good thermal, humidity, and environmental stabilities. Only a small change in sheet resistance can be found after NAN electrode is preserved in air for 1 year. The power conversion efficiencies of organic photovoltaic cells with NAN electrodes deposited on glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates are 6.07 and 5.55%, respectively, which are competitive with those of indium tin oxide (ITO)-based devices. Good photoelectric properties, the low-cost material, and the room-temperature deposition process imply that NAN electrode is a striking candidate for low-cost and flexible transparent electrode for efficient flexible optoelectronic devices.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Applications, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Changchun 130033, China.
authors.forename: Zhichao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Xingyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xuanming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Haiyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaoyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
keywords: NiO; flexible electronics; organic photovoltaic cells; transparent electrode