Application-Specific Thickness Optimization for Organic Solar Cells Under Indoor and Outdoor Conditions
| Authors | W. Guanoune1, H.A. Abbassi2 |
| Affiliations |
1Badji Mokhtar University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Physics, 23000 Annaba, Algeria 2Environmental Research Center (CRE), Environmental Innovation and Eco-Waste Management Division, 23000 Annaba, Algeria |
| Е-mail | guanoune.walid@gmail.com |
| Issue | Volume 18, Year 2026, Number 5 |
| Dates | Received 15 July 2026; revised manuscript received 19 October 2026; published online 28 October 2026 |
| Citation | W. Guanoune, H.A. Abbassi, J. Nano- Electron. Phys. 18 No 5, 05033 (2026) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.21272/jnep.18(5).05033 |
| PACS Number(s) | 84.60.Jt, 72.80.Le, 73.61.Ph |
| Keywords | Organic solar cells, Active-layer thickness, Drift-diffusion simulation, Light-intensity dependence, Indoor photovoltaics. |
| Annotation |
Organic solar cells (OSCs) offer flexibility and low-cost fabrication, but their performance is strongly dependent on illumination conditions. Standard optimization under AM1.5G (1000 W·m – 2) does not reflect the diversity of real environments, which range from sub-watt indoor light to full sunlight. In this work, we establish illumination-dependent thickness guidelines that link device geometry to targeted applications. Drift–diffusion simulations using OghmaNano (GPVDM) were performed on bulk-heterojunction P3HT:PCBM solar cells across intensities from 0.5 to 1100 W·m – 2. The results show that under indoor conditions (1-30 W·m – 2), thicker active layers (350-400 nm) maximize absorption and yield power conversion efficiencies (PCE) up to 3.75 %, whereas under high outdoor irradiance (≥ 700 W·m – 2), thinner layers (200-230 nm) mitigate recombination and enhance energy output. A design map relating PCE, Jsc, Voc, and FF to thickness–intensity pairs identifies application-specific optima. Although demonstrated on P3HT:PCBM as a reference system, the methodology is broadly applicable to other organic photovoltaic technologies. These results provide concise, illumination-aware thickness guidelines that bridge laboratory optimization with real-world deployment of OSCs under indoor and outdoor conditions. |
|
List of References |
Other articles from this number
1) Design and Simulation of Cobalt/Nickel Functionalized a-IGZO Thin-Film Transistor for Enhanced Gas Sensing Applications [05001-1-05001-8]2) Implementation of Novel 3D Printed Perturb Microwave Laminate with Circular Mesh Grid Substrate for Circularly Polarized Patch Antenna [05002-1-05002-7]
3) Local Laser-Enhanced Nickel Electrodeposition [05003-1-05003-5]
4) Theoretical Aspects and Engineering Approaches to Energy-Saving Liquid Atomization Technologies [05004-1-05004-8]
5) Effect of Magnesium Doping on the Dielectric Property and Triboelectric Performance of Nanohydroxyapatite [05005-1-05005-7]
6) Frequency-Tunable Acousto-Electronic Devices [05006-1-05006-3]
7) Benchmarking Performance of a Double Gate CNTFET Against the GNRFET with Schottky Contact [05007-1-05007-5]
8) Analysis of Nano-Scale Effects on the Vibration of Functionally Graded Plates Using a Higher-Order Shear Deformation Theory [05008-1-05008-5]
9) Temperature-Dependent Spectral Characteristics of AlGaInP Quantum-Well Light-Emitting Diodes [05009-1-05009-5]
10) Impact of Active and Passive Cooling on Photovoltaic Modules Performance’s [05010-1-05010-5]
11) Structural and Electrical Characterization of Different Grades of Polyolefin Encapsulants [05011-1-05011-4]
12) Development of Radio-Absorbing Ceramics Based on SrO–BaO–TiO2–SiO2 System Compositions [05012-1-05012-6]
13) Structural, Optical, and Dielectric Properties of Zinc Oxide Thin Films Obtained by Impedance Spectroscopy [05013-1-05013-5]
14) Synthesis and Characterization of CuCr1.4Co0.6O4 Spinel Nanostructures: Impact of Cobalt Doping on Optical and Photocatalytic Properties [05014-1-05014-9]
15) Pull-in Voltage Analysis of Fixed-Fixed Beam and U-Shape Cantilever MEMS Actuators: A Comparative Finite Element Study [05015-1-05015-6]
16) Numerical Modeling of the Thermal Behavior of Thin Layers – Application to a Brazed Insert Assembled into a Cutting Tool [05016-1-05016-5]
17) Performance Enhancement of an InAs Source/Pocket Dual-Source Trench Gate Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor Using an HfO2 Filled Cavity: A TCAD Investigation [05017-1-05017-4]
18) AI-Augmented Geometry Evolution for a Wideband Slotted Radiator Antenna for 5G N78 Applications [05018-1-05018-5]
19) Analysis of A Low-Profile Circular Slotted BPF For 5G New Radio Applications [05019-1-05019-4]
20) Flexible Antenna Design for Wearable and RF Energy Harvesting in the Mid-Band Wireless Spectrum [05020-1-05020-11]
21) Performance Assessment of Recycled Polymer Composites with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes [05021-1-05021-6]
22) Dual-Band Microstrip Patch Antenna with R-SRR Meta-Surface for 5G-NR Applications [05022-1-05022-4]
23) Microstrip Patch Antenna with Parasitic Elements and Slots for Narrow Bandwidth for Modern Wireless Applications [05023-1-05023-5]
24) Design and Analysis of a High Gain Dual Band Symmetric Slot Microstrip Patch Antenna Using 5CB Nano Doped NLC for S- and Ku- Band Applications [05024-1-05024-5]
25) Analysis of a Low-Profile Electrically Small Circular Slotted Circular Patch Antenna for Bluetooth Applications [05025-1-05025-5]
26) Moth Flame Optimization with Random Forest Surrogate Modeling for Side Lobe Suppression in Linear Antenna Arrays [05026-1-05026-5]
27) Spectral Dependence of the Effective Photoconductivity of Crystalline Silicon Containing Amorphous Inclusions of Different Morphologies [05027-1-05027-8]
28) Nanotechnology-Integrated Imaging Framework for Brain Tumor Classification [05028-1-05028-4]
29) An Analytical Approach of Threshold Voltage Model in Junctionless Field Effect Transistor with Hexagonal Shaped Cross-section [05029-1-05029-6]
30) A Compact Octagonal Shaped Antenna for ISM Band Applications [05030-1-05030-5]
31) Effect of Temperature on Dielectric and Impedance Characteristics of Graphene Oxide Thin Films [05031-1-05031-5]
32) Nanoscale Electronic and Surface Property Engineering of Pt Nanomaterials by Rare-Earth Praseodymium for Energy Application [05032-1-05032-5]
33) EBG-Integrated Quad-Band Decagonal Slitted Microstrip Patch Antenna for 5G Wireless Systems [05034-1-05034-7]
34) Strengthening the Inner Surfaces of Long Holes in VT22 Titanium by Glow Discharge Nitriding [05035-1-05035-7]
35) Light Emitters Based on ZnO:Mg Heterolayers [05036-1-05036-5]
