# US 5,350,459 A · Organic photovoltaic element

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- Number: US 5,350,459 A
- Document ID: US5350459A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/054,199
- Filed: 1993-04-30
- Granted: 1994-09-27
- Earliest claimed: 1992-05-01
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Tetsuro Suzuki; Masao Yoshikawa; Kazukiyo Nagai; Hiroshi Ikuno
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5350459A

## CPC

- H10K 85/621: {Aromatic anhydride or imide compounds, e.g. perylene tetra-carboxylic dianhydride or perylene tetracarboxylic di-imide}
- H10K 30/211: {comprising multiple junctions, e.g. double heterojunctions}
- H10K 85/6572: {comprising only nitrogen in the heteroaromatic polycondensed ring system, e.g. phenanthroline or carbazole}
- H10K 30/50: Photovoltaic [PV] devices
- H10K 85/311: {Phthalocyanine}
- Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An organic photovoltaic element is composed of a first electrode, a first electron acceptor organic layer provided on the first electrode, a second electron acceptor organic layer which is different from the first electron acceptor organic layer, provided on the first electron acceptor organic layer, a first electron donor organic layer provided on the second electron acceptor organic layer, a second electron acceptor organic layer which is different from the first electron acceptor organic layer, provided on the first electron acceptor organic layer, and a second electrode provided on the second electron acceptor organic layer, at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode being transparent.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An organic photovoltaic element comprising:
a first electrode,
a first electron acceptor organic layer provided on said first electrode,
a second electron acceptor organic layer which is different from said first electron acceptor organic layer, provided on said first electron acceptor organic layer,
a first electron donor organic layer provided on said second electron acceptor organic layer,
a second electron acceptor organic layer which is different from said first electron acceptor organic layer, provided on said first electron acceptor organic layer, and
a second electrode provided on said second electron acceptor organic layer, at least one of said first electrode or said second electrode being transparent.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The organic photovoltaic element as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first electron acceptor organic layer or said second electron donor organic layer has a principal light absorption wavelength region which is different from the principal light absorption wavelength region of said second electron acceptor organic layer or that of said first electron donor organic layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2)

The organic photovoltaic element as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said second electron donor organic layer has an ionization potential which is equal to or less than the ionization potential of said first electron donor organic layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The organic photovoltaic element as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first electron acceptor organic layer has an electron affinity which is equal to or greater than that of said second electron acceptor organic layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The organic photovoltaic element as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first electron acceptor organic layer or said second electron acceptor organic layer comprises a pigment selected from the group consisting of a perylene tetracarboxidiimide pigment, a perylene tetracarboxidiimidazole pigment, an anthraquinone acridone pigment, a polycyclic quinone pigment, and a naphthalene tetracarboxidiimidazole pigment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The organic photovoltaic element as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first electron donor organic layer or said second electron donor organic layer comprises a phthalocyanine pigment or a quinacridone pigment.