Fabrication of a single layer organic photovoltaic device based on an indium-tin-oxide/copper phthalocyanine/aluminum heterostructure.

An ultra high vacuum chamber was designed and constructed for the purpose of fabricating organic photovoltaic devices. Thermal vapor deposition of copper phthalocyanine as the active layer and aluminum as the cathode onto a substrate of indium-tin-oxide coated glass was tested in ultra high vacuum conditions. Auger electron spectroscopy was used to analyze the surface properties of the different layers. It was possible to prepare the electrodes to the necessary quality, but the vapor deposition of the organic active layer proved to be unsuccessful. The conductivity of the deposited copper phthalocyanine was much higher than anticipated. Two possible mechanisms for this increase in conductivity are polymerization of the molecules and the formation of stacked assemblies. The residual copper phthalocyanine left in the crucible was examined with a scanning electron microscope and evidence of both mechanisms was observed.