Characterization Methods for Organic Solar Cells

Abstract

In modern life, with the increased demand for ubiquitous and constant energy supply to heat living space and to use vehicles/devices, we need new energy sources, which can be a strong alternative to fossil-based energy sources. In these strategies, sun light and thereby photovoltaic devices has become an interesting and useful for the supply of energy. Even though silicon-based solar cells are well defined and developed in this field, the main disadvantages of them are the high-cost fabrication process and their transportation/installation due the weight. In recent years, organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted a growing attention as one of promising alternative to replace traditional silicon-based solar cells since they present remarkable advantages, including suitable electrical and optical properties, lightweight, flexibility, and long-term device stability. Nevertheless, OSCs cannot be further investigated without the application of sophisticated characterization techniques. It is well known that the primary properties of OSCs are illuminated, improving their suitability for potential applications. The characterisation techniques described in this section therefore fall into three main categories: photovoltaic, morphological and structural characterisation. This chapter presents morphological characterisation techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), which are widely used to clarify the structure of organic solar cells. Structural characterization techniques presented here include ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). © 2026 Scrivener Publishing LLC