Fabrication of multilayer TiO{sub 2} thin films for dye-sensitized solar cells with high conversion efficiency by electrophoresis deposition

Journal Article · Fri Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Solar Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SOLENER.2009.10.018· OSTI ID:21262149

Chang, Ho; Chen, Wei-An ^[1]; Su, Hung-Ting; Chen, Sih-Li ^[2]; David Huang, K ^[3]; Chien, Shu-Hua ^[4]; Chen, Chih-Chieh ^[5]

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1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology (China)
2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University (China)
3. Department of Vehicle Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology (China)
4. Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115 (China)
5. Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University (China)

This research coats a commercial TiO{sub 2} nanoparticle Degussa P25 with good roundness and size uniformity on an indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate and to be photoelectrical electrode by electrophoresis deposition. It combined with dye N719, electrolyte I{sup -}/ I{sub 3}{sup -} and counter-electrode of Pt layer to produce dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Through the electrophoretic technique, a multilayer film of an appropriate thickness is deposited in the suspension containing TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and isopropanol. In this process, electric current, voltage, and the number of deposition cycles are well controlled to obtain a single TiO{sub 2} film of around 3.3 {mu}m thick. Stacking is then performed to obtain a multilayer-typed TiO{sub 2} film of around 12 {mu}m thick. As the sintering temperature reaches 400 C, the prepared multilayer TiO{sub 2} film with a good compactness can increase the dye adsorption capability of the thin film and enhance its adsorption percentage. In addition, the heat treatment will transfer a portion of the rutile crystalline into the anatase crystalline, resulting in better material properties for DSSCs application. DSSCs produced are exposed to metal halide lamp and their energy conversion efficiency is measured. The I-V curve of the produced DSSCs shows that it has an excellent energy conversion efficiency of 6.9%. (author)

• OSTI ID: 21262149
• Journal Information: Solar Energy, Vol. 84, Issue 1; Other Information: Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved; ISSN 0038-092X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
TITANIUM OXIDES
THIN FILMS
SOLAR CELLS
ENERGY CONVERSION
INDIUM
SINTERING
LAYERS
DEPOSITION
DYES
EFFICIENCY
ELECTROPHORESIS
PROPANOLS
ADSORPTION
TIN OXIDES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
ELECTRODES
HALIDES
SUSPENSIONS
THICKNESS
HEAT TREATMENTS
GLASS
NANOSTRUCTURES
PARTICLES
SUBSTRATES
Electrophoresis deposition
Energy conversion efficiency