Organic Photovoltaic Fabrication Techniques

The fabrication of organic photovoltaic devices encompasses a broad suite of solution-based methods that range from laboratory-scale spin-coating to industrially relevant roll-to-roll processes. Central to all approaches is the controlled deposition of a bulk heterojunction active layer, typically comprising a conjugated polymer donor and an electron-accepting component, whose nanoscale morphology dictates charge separation and transport. Spin-coating remains a workhorse for rapid device prototyping, offering excellent film uniformity on rigid substrates, but is inherently limited in throughput and material utilisation. Blade coating, knife-edge coating and slot-die techniques bridge the gap between bench and fab, enabling continuous deposition with fine control over wet film thickness and drying kinetics. Printing approaches, notably inkjet, screen and gravure printing, introduce mask-free patterning and digital flexibility for bespoke module geometries, while spray coating offers a scalable route to semi-transparent layers. Across all methods, solvent engineering, temperature management and additive strategies are employed to suppress pinholes, tune crystallisation and optimise interfacial layers. The ultimate goal is to reconcile high power conversion efficiency with mechanical flexibility, large-area uniformity and cost-effective production, thereby unlocking applications in portable power, building-integrated photovoltaics and sustainable energy infrastructures worldwide.

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Organic Photovoltaic Fabrication Techniques publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in organic photovoltaic fabrication techniques across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Bulk heterojunction: a nanoscale blend of donor and acceptor materials forming interpenetrating networks to facilitate efficient charge separation and transport.

Slot-die coating: a continuous film deposition method in which solution is delivered through a narrow slit onto a moving substrate to produce uniform wet films.

Inkjet printing: a digital, mask-free approach that deposits picolitre droplets of functional inks to pattern photovoltaic layers with precise spatial control.

Roll-to-roll processing: a continuous manufacturing technique in which flexible substrates are unrolled through a sequence of coating and printing stations before being rewound.

Non-fullerene acceptor: an organic electron-transport molecule that replaces traditional fullerene derivatives to enhance light absorption and morphological stability in the active layer.

References

1. Overview of printing and coating techniques in the production of organic photovoltaic cells. International Journal of Energy Research (2020).
2. Fabrication of Spray-Coated Semitransparent Organic Solar Cells. IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society (2019).
3. Recent progress in solution-processed flexible organic photovoltaics. npj Flexible Electronics (2022).
4. Scalable fabrication of organic solar cells based on non-fullerene acceptors. Flexible and Printed Electronics (2020).