Organic-silicon hybrid photovoltaic devices

The transition from bulk photovoltaic devices to thin film has been slow, but with recent silicon feedstock issues, thin film technologies may have a chance to be more competitive with silicon wafer photovoltaic devices. Polymer photovoltaic research has flourished over recent years but has not yet reached efficiencies or stabilities that can compete with inorganic devices. Crystalline silicon, due to the indirect bandgap, typically suffers from poor absorption. Hybrid devices and materials have the potential to overcome limitations that are properties of single constituent devices. Of particular interest are novel organic-silicon thin multilayer devices that utilise the strong absorption properties of the organic material to sensitize silicon, a material that has good carrier transport properties. This chapter reviews the materials, energy transfer mechanisms and device configurations of organic-silicon photovoltaic devices with emphasis on conjugated polymers and current thin film silicon technologies.