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A closer look at plastic solar cells

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Marie Freebody, Contributing Editor, [email protected]

Plastic solar cells are lightweight, flexible and, most importantly, cheap to make. But so far, these devices lack one thing: efficiency. Now researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle believe that they may have the key to unlocking the true potential of plastic solar cells. By taking a closer look at their inner workings at the microscopic and even nanoscopic level, the group believes it could help bring the technology a step closer to fulfilling its promise as a low-cost source of solar energy. The fabrication of plastic solar cells usually involves blending two materials...Read full article

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    Published: October 2009
    Glossary
    atomic force microscope
    An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging and measurement instrument used in nanotechnology, materials science, and biology. It is a type of scanning probe microscope that operates by scanning a sharp tip (usually a few nanometers in diameter) over the surface of a sample at a very close distance. The tip interacts with the sample's surface forces, providing detailed information about the sample's topography and properties at the nanoscale. Key features and principles of...
    microscope
    An instrument consisting essentially of a tube 160 mm long, with an objective lens at the distant end and an eyepiece at the near end. The objective forms a real aerial image of the object in the focal plane of the eyepiece where it is observed by the eye. The overall magnifying power is equal to the linear magnification of the objective multiplied by the magnifying power of the eyepiece. The eyepiece can be replaced by a film to photograph the primary image, or a positive or negative relay...
    near-infrared
    The shortest wavelengths of the infrared region, nominally 0.75 to 3 µm.
    AFMatomic force microscopeBasic ScienceDavid GingerelectricityenergyFeaturesfullereneGingerLiam PingreemanufacturingMarie FreebodymicroscopeMicroscopyNano Lettersnanoscale photocurrent imagingnanoscale solar cellsnear-infraredNIRObadiah ReidphotocurrentsPingreeplastic solar cellspolymer/fullerene solar cellpolymerspolythiophenequality controlred lightReidSeattlesolarUniversity of Washington

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