Abstract
Physics methods commonly can be catagorized as theories and experiments. However, with the advance of computer calculations, a new method called numerical simulation, which has both characteristics of theories and experiments, becomes more and more popular recently. Based on the basic physical laws, physical phenomenon in different conditions can be simulated by computer programs. In this study, we demonstrate the applications of numerical simulation in optoelectronic properties of the organic thin-film solar cells. In chapter 1, the operation principles and the characteristics of the organic thin-film solar cells are discussed. In chapter 2 and 3, different optical simulation methods are introduced. The transfer matrix method has been used in 1-D simulations, while the finite-difference time-domain method has been use in 2-D and 3-D simulations of optical characteristics of the organic thin-film solar cells. With the help of simulations, the device structures can be designed and further optimized prior to fabrication. We also show that some physical data, such as optical field distributions in the devices and exciton diffusion lengths in the organic semiconductors, which are difficult to be obtained by real-world measurement, can be extracted. In chapter 4, to explore the dominate recombination mechanism in the organic thin-film solar cells, the J-V characteristics under different illumination intensities have been analyzed and fitted with a simple model. In chapter 5, the Monte Carlo method is applied to the simulation of the silver nanowire network. The effect of the nanowire orientation and distribution on the area coverage ratio and the sheet resistance has been studied. In the last chapter, the results of the simulation in each chapter are summarized and the further development directions are presented.