• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.76-80
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• 2011

The ITO/Cabon Nano Tube (CNT) nano composites were deposited by nano cluster deposition (ITO) and arc discharge deposition (CNT) on glass substrates. The structural, optical and photovoltaic performance of ITO/CNT nano composites as a counter electrode of dye-sensitized solar-cells (DSSCs) such films were investigated. At low temperature below $250^{\circ}C$, the ITO films deposited on CNT. The ITO/CNT nano composit showed a good optical and electrical property for the counter electrode of DSSCs. When the as-prepared ITO/CNT nano composites are used for the counter electrodes, the photovoltaic parameters are $V_{OC}$ = 0.69 V, $J_{SC}$ = 5.69 mA/$cm^2$, FF = 0.32, and $\eta$ = 0.53 %. The ITO/CNT nano composites showed the possibility for the counter electrode applications of DSSCs.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1090-1094
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• 2004

Studies on porous oxide electrode, dye and electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells have been intensively carried out until now. However, counter electrode have not been much studied so far. Accordingly, it is needed to investigate new counter electrode materials with superior catalyst property and to substitute for Pt electrode. In this case, carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) are one of alternatives for counter electrodes as following merits: low resistivity, excellent electron emission property, large surface area and low cost due to development of mass production technique. Such advantages gave us to select multiwalled CNTs (MWCNT) as counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cell. Also, cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy were used to investigate electrochemical properties of both CNT electrode and Pt electrode. It was found that sheet resistance of CNT electrode was similar to that of Pt electrode, also, electrochemical properties of CNT electrode was superior to that of Pt electrode on the basis on the measurement of CV and impedance spectrum. It was found that CNT is likely to be a very promising electrode material for dye solar cells.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.209-215
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• 2013

DSSCs electrical characteristics and efficiency fabricated with different tape casting thickness Pt counter electrodes and different thickness between $TiO_2$ photo electrode and Pt counter electrode substrate were studied. 1 layer Pt counter electrode shows 3.979% efficiency. Efficiency increased as tape casting thickness decreased. The lowest open-circuit voltage was a 0.726 V and the highest short-circuit current was a 2.188 mA on 1 layer Pt counter electrode. On the different thickness between two substrates, the lowest open-circuit voltage 0.712 V and the highest short-circuit current 2.787 mA was measured at $60{\mu}m$ surlyn film thickness and it shows the highest value of 5.067% efficiency.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.114-118
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• 2011

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells(DSSCs) consist of a titanium dioxide($TiO_2$) nano film of the photo electrode, dye molecules on the surface of the $TiO_2$ film, an electrolyte layer and a counter electrode. But two transparent conductive oxide(TCO) substrates are estimated to be about 60[%] of the total cost of the DSSCs. Currently novel TCO-less structures have been investigated in order to reduce the cost. In this study, we suggested a TCO-less DSSCs which has titanium double layer electrodes. Titanium double layer electrodes are formed by electron-beam evaporation method. Analytical instruments such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope were used to evaluate the TCO-less DSSCs. As a result, the proposed structure decreases energy conversion efficiency and short-circuit current density compared with the conventional DSSCs structure with FTO glass, while internal series impedance of TCO-less DSSCs using titanium double layer electrodes decreases by 27[%]. Consequently, the fill factor is improved by 28[%] more than that of the conventional structure.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.231-244
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• 2017

Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by modified Hummer's method to produce reduced graphene oxide (RGO) following standard thermal and chemical reduction processes. Prepared RGO colloids were utilized to fabricate RGO films over glass and FTO coated glass substrates through drop-coating. A systematic study was performed to evaluate the effect of reduction degree on the optical and electrical properties of the RGO film. We demonstrate that both the reduction process (thermal and chemical) produce RGO films of similar optical and electrical behaviors. However, the RGO films fabricated using chemically reduced GO colloid render better performance in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), when they are used as counter electrodes (CEs). It has been demonstrated that RGO films of optimum thicknesses fabricated using RGO colloids prepared using lower concentration of hydrazine reducer have better catalytic performance in DSSCs due to a better catalytic interaction with redox couple. The better catalytic performance of the RGO films fabricated at optimal hydrazine concentration is associated to their higher available surface area and lower grain boundaries.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.276.2-276.2
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• 2016

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are promising candidates for light-to-energy conversion devices due to their low-cost, easy fabrication and relative high conversion efficiency. An important component of DSCs is counter electrode (CE) collect electrons from external circuit and reduct I3- to I-. The conventional CEs are thermally decomposed Pt on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates, which have shown excellent performance and stability. However, Pt is not suitable in terms of cost effect. In this report, we demonstrated that nickel sulfide thin films by atomic layer deposition (ALD)-using Nickel(1-dimethylamino-2-methyl-2-butanolate)2 and hydrogen sulfide at low temperatures of $90-200^{\circ}C$-could be good CEs in DSCs. Notably, ALD allows the thin films to grow with good reproducibility, precise thickness control and excellent conformality at the angstrom or monolayer level. The nickel sulfide films were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, hall measurements and cyclic voltammetry. The ALD grown nickel sulfide thin films showed high catalytic activity for the reduction of I3- to I- in DSC. The DSCs with the ALD-grown nickel sulfide thin films as CEs showed the solar cell efficiency of 7.12% which is comparable to that of the DSC with conventional Pt coated counter electrode (7.63%).

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.243-247
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• 2012

A ruthenium (Ru) catalytic layer and a conventional Pt layer were assessed as counter electrodes (CE) for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Ru films with different thicknesses of 34, 46, and 90 nm were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Pt layers with the same thicknesses were prepared by sputtering. $0.45cm^2$ DSSCs were prepared and their properties were characterized by FE-SEM, cyclic voltammetry (CV), impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and current-voltage (I-V). FE-SEM revealed that the crystallized Ru films and Pt films had been deposited quite conformally. CV showed that the catalytic activity of Pt was much greater than that of Ru. In addition, although the catalytic activity of Pt did not depend on the thickness, that of Ru showed an increase with increasing thickness. Impedance analysis revealed high charge transfer resistance at the Ru interface and a decrease with increasing Ru thickness, whereas Pt showed low resistance with no thickness dependence. Despite the relatively small catalytic activity of Ru, the I-V result revealed the average energy conversion efficiency of Ru and Pt to be 2.98% and 6.57%, respectively. These results suggest that Ru can be used as counter electrodes in DSSCs due to its extremely low temperature process compatibility.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1986.10a
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• pp.596-600
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• 1986

This paper describes a capacitively reading apparatus for determining the angular orientation, speed and/or direction of rotary objects such as shaft, dial hand, counter wheel and the like. The apparatus consists of sensing device and circuit accompanying with said sensing device. The sensing device is provided by arranging many stationary electrodes lying substantially on a surface of a stationary plane member and by arranging rotary electrode lying substantially on a surface of rotary objects to be monitored, in which said rotary electrode is in confronting relationship to some stationary electrodes so as to construct unique capacitors according to the angular position of rotary objects. The angular position of said rotary electrode is determined by sets of stationary electrodes which are in confronting relationship to rotary electrode. A carrier signal is generated by scanning device while scanning said stationarelectrodes, whose periods are in corresponding relationship to said stationary electrodes, respectively. The periods of carrier corresponding to the angular position of said rotary electrode is modulated by a modulation signal generated by detecting device according to said rotary electrode. This apparatus is applied to automatically monitor any kind of storage tank, as well as to automatically read the conventional utility meters such as Watthour meters, Gas meters, Water meters, etc..

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Cobalt silicide was used as a counter electrode in order to confirm its reliability in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) devices. 100 nm-Co/300 nm-Si/quartz was formed by an evaporator and cobalt silicide was formed by vacuum heat treatment at $700^{\circ}C$ for 60 min to form approximately 350 nm-CoSi. This process was followed by etching in $80^{\circ}C$-30% $H_2SO_4$ to remove the cobalt residue on the cobalt silicide surface. Also, for the comparison against Pt, we prepared a 100 nm-Pt/glass counter electrode. Cobalt silicide was used for the counter electrode in order to confirm its reliability in DSSC devices and maintained for 0, 168, 336, 504, 672, and 840 hours at $80^{\circ}C$. The photovoltaic properties of the DSSCs employing cobalt silicide were confirmed by using a simulator and potentiostat. Cyclic-voltammetry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry analyses were used to confirm the catalytic activity, microstructure, and composition, respectively. The energy conversion efficiency (ECE) as a function of time and ECE of the DSSC with Pt and CoSi counter electrodes were maintained for 504 hours. However, after 672 hours, the ECEs decreased to a half of their initial values. The results of the catalytic activity analysis showed that the catalytic activities of the Pt and CoSi counter electrodes decreased to 64% and 57% of their initial values, respectively(after 840 hours). The microstructure analysis showed that the CoSi layer improved the durability in the electrolyte, but because the stress concentrates on the contact surface between the lower quartz substrate and the CoSi layer, cracks are formed locally and flaking occurs. Thus, deterioration occurs due to the residual stress built up during the silicidation of the CoSi counter electrode, so it is necessary to take measures against these residual stresses, in order to ensure the reliability of the electrode.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.356-359
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• 2005

Ionic-polymer-metal-composite(IPMC), one of new actuation materials of electroactive polymers plated with noble metallic electrodes is known for the fast bending upon electric field. The IPMC strip bends towards anode under electrical field. It has many merits of low driving voltage, quick responsiveness, high durability, possibility of miniaturizability. In this paper, we studied for developing the large deflection of IPMC according several fabricating parameters. We measured the large deflection by the different process of sandpaper and sandblasting in surface treatment, the initial compositing process and the surface electroding process, and the different counter ions in ion exchanging process. In fundamental, the displacement of IPMC strip depends on voltage magnitude and applied signal frequency and its maximum deformation is observed at a critical frequency, resonant frequency.