Indium-Tin-Oxide-Based Transparent Conducting Layers for Highly Efficient Photovoltaic Devices

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Journal of Physical Chemistry C

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jp809011a· OSTI ID:1023715

Lee, S; Noh, J H; Bae, S T; Cho, I S; Kim, J Y; Shin, H; Lee, J K; Jung, H S; Hong, K S

Additional hydrogen (H{sub 2}) annealing and subsequent electrochemical treatment are found to make tin-doped indium oxide (ITO)-based photoelectrodes suitable for highly efficient dye sensitized solar cells. The additional H{sub 2} annealing process recovered the electrical conductivity of the ITO film the same as its initial high conductivity, which enhanced the charge collecting property. Moreover, the employment of electrochemical oxidation of TiO{sub 2}/ITO photoelectrode improved the energy conversion efficiency of the ITO-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC), higher than that of a conventional FTO-based DSSC. Electrochemical impedance analysis showed that the H2 annealing process reduced the internal resistance of the cell, i.e., the resistance of the ITO and the Schottky barrier at the TiO{sub 2}/ITO interface were reduced, and that the electrochemical treatment recovered the diodelike characteristics of the DSSC by retarding back electron transfer from the photoelectrode to the electrolyte. The present work demonstrates that thermally and electrochemically modified ITO-based photoelectrode is another alternative to the conventionally used FTO-based photoelectrode.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1023715
• Journal Information: Journal of Physical Chemistry C, Vol. 113, Issue 17, 2009; ISSN 1932-7447
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ANNEALING
CHARGE COLLECTION
DYES
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTRON TRANSFER
ENERGY CONVERSION
FILMS
HYDROGEN
IMPEDANCE
INDIUM OXIDES
INTERFACES
LAYERS
OXIDATION
SOLAR CELLS
TIN
Chemical and Biosciences