• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2006년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.154-157
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• 2006

The counter electrode widely used in DSCs (Dye-sensitized Solar Cells) is constructed of conducting glass substrates coated with Pt films, where the platium acts as a catalyst. Pt counter electrodes in DSCs are one important component. It is expected that characteristics of Pt electrodes strongly depend on fabrication process and its surface condition. In this study, Pt counter electrode surface of DSC is deposited by reactive RF magnetron sputtering under the conditions of Ar 5mtorr, RF power of 120w and substrate temperature of $100^{\circ}C$. Surface morphology of Pt electrodes was investigated by FE-SEM and AFM. And this paper shows our recent results and technology to fabricate the new designed cell with Pt electrodes deposited by sputtering method. We have achieved fill factor 65% and photoelectric conversion efficiency around 2.6% as the best results of new designed DSCs structure.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2008년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.419-421
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• 2008

Sputter deposition on a Pt counter electrode was studied using RF plasma as the improvement of conversion efficiency for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC). The effects of the sputtering thickness and incident angle on a Pt counter electrode for DSC was scrutinized. We conducted the experiment to get the optimal sputtering time for the performance of the DSC. Under the sputtering time condition of 120 seconds, we varied the incident angles of substrate from $0^{\circ}$ to $60^{\circ}$. Under standard test condition (AM 1.5, 100mW/$cm^2$), we obtained the maximum efficiency of 4.61% at the incident angle of $40^{\circ}$ with an active cell area of $1cm^2$.

• Journal of Satellite, Information and Communications
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.107-109
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• 2014

Dye-sensitezed solar cell(DSSC) has aroused intense interest owing to its competitive price and stabilized properties than Si based solar cells. Recently, many studies have been reported on the DSSC, especially development of Pt-free counter electrode. In this paper, graphene is chosen counter electrode for low cost material and developed its properties. To estimate the properties of counter electrode, graphene and Pt thin films have been fabricated on FTO substrates respectively, than the films are tested AFM and J-V evaluation method. A graphene of 0.1 wt% has shown current density of 11.68 mA/cm2, maximum efficiency of 4.34% which is similar with that of Pt counter electrode. It confirmed that graphene could be good material for counter electrode if its synthesizing conditions were developed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 한국진공학회 2013년도 제44회 동계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.160-160
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• 2013

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted much attention because of their moderate light-to-electricity conversion efficiency, easy fabrication, and low cost. At present, platinum (Pt) is used as a counter electrode in DSSCs. However, it is found that Pt dissolves in iodide electrolyte solutions and creates chemical compound such as PtI4 and H2PtI6. Carbon based materials are one of candidates for a counter electrode of DSSCs. We prepare two types of graphite oxides by different chemical treatments; original graphite oxide, hydrazine treated graphite oxide. Each graphite oxide and magnesium nitrate dispersed in deionized water are prepared as solutions for electrophoretic deposition (EPD). Each graphite oxide electrode is deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate by EPD method. Structural and electrochemical properties of each electrode are investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2005년도 추계학술대회 논문집 Vol.18
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• pp.262-263
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• 2005

Pt counter electrode based on flexible metal for dye-sensitized solar cells(DSCs) has been investigated. Photovoltaic structures on lightweight substrates have several advantages over the heavy glass-based structures in both terrestrial and space applications. Cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy were used to investigate electrochemical properties of Pt counter electrode both FTO glass and SUS sheet substrate. The DSCs composed of the counter electrode based on a stainless steel substrate has obtained conversion efficiencies comparable to that based on the conducting glass. The counter electrode based on the stainless steel substrate has the merit of improving the fill factor and conversion efficiency of the DSCs by reducing its internal resistance.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• 제59권3호
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• pp.588-593
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• 2010

Sputter deposition on a Pt counter electrode was studied using radio frequency (RF) plasma as the improvement of incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Effects of the sputtering thickness and the incident angle on a Pt counter electrode for DSCs were investigated. Experiments to get the optimal sputtering time for the performance of the DSCs were carried out. And it is found that the optimized sputtering time was 120 seconds, in addition, the incident angles of the substrate was adjusted from $0^{\circ}$ to $60^{\circ}$. The maximum efficiency of 5.37% was obtained at the incident angle of $40^{\circ}$ with an active cell area of $1cm^2$.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• 제54권4호
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• pp.139-143
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• 2005

For application of carbon nano-tube (CNT) as a counter electrode materials of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), the electrochemical behavior of CNT electrode was studied, employing cyclic-voltammetry (C-V) and impedance spectroscopy. Fabrication of CNT-paste and formation of CNT-counter electrode for characteristic measurement have been carried out using ball-milling and doctor blade process, respectively. Unit cell for measurements was assembled using Pt electrode, CNT electrode, and iodine-embedded electrolyte. Field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was used for structural investigation of CNT powder and electrode. Sheet resistance of electrode was measured with 4-point probe method. Electrochemical properties of electrode, C-V and impedance spectrum, were studied, employing potentiogalvanostat (EG&G 273A) and lock in amplifier (EG&G 5210). As a results, the sheet resistance of CNT electrode is almost similar to that of F-doped SnO2 (FTO) coated glass substrate as approximately 10 ohm/sq. From C-V and impedance spectroscopy measurements, it was found that CNT electrode has high reaction rate and low interface reaction resistance between CNT surface and electrolyte. These results provides that CNT electrode were superior to that of conventional Pt electrode. Particularly, the reaction rate in the CNT electrode is about thrice high than Pt electrode. Therefore. CNT electrode is to be good candidate material for counter electrode in DSSC.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.63-69
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• 2017

In this work, two different platinum (Pt) counter electrodes have been prepared by spin coating a Pt solution and screen printing a Pt paste on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate followed by sintering at $380^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses of the Pt electrodes showed that the spin coated electrode was catalytically more active than the screen printed electrode. The above result agrees well with the surface morphology of the electrodes studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the photovoltaic performance of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated with the Pt electrodes. Moreover, calculation of current density-voltage (j-V) curves according to diode model with the parameters obtained from the experimental j-V curves and the EIS data of the DSSCs provided a quantitative insight about how the catalytic activity of the counter electrodes affected the photovoltaic performance of the cells. Even though the experimental situations involved in this work are trivial, the method of analyses outlined here gives a strong insight about how the catalytic activity of a counter electrode affects the photovoltaic performance of a DSSC. This work, also, demonstrates how the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs can be improved by tuning the performance of counter electrode materials.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.98-103
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• 2011

We prepared a counter electrode by electroplating Ni as underlayer and Pt as plating layer on the FTO glass to increase the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). We found an excellent adhesion between Ni underlayer and FTO glass when Ni underlayer was electroplated at $10mA/cm^2$ for 2 min on FTO glass. We observed Ni and Pt metal diffraction peaks by XRD analysis when Ni underlayer was electroplated at $10mA/cm^2$ for 2 min, and Pt layer was electroplated at $5mA/cm^2$ for 1 min on the Ni underlayer. Photovoltaic performance and impedance analysis of DSSCs fabricated with this counter electrode shows the highest efficiency of 5.6% and the lowest resistance of 75 ohm.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.140-143
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• 2005

Carbon Nanotube(CNTs) counter electrode is a promising alternative to Platinum counter electrode for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this study, CNT counter electrodes having different visible light transmittance were prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass surface by spray coating method. Microstructural images show that there are CNT-tangled region coated on FTO glass counter electrodes. Using such CNT counter electrodes and screen printed $TiO_2$ electrodes, DSSCs were assembled and its I-V characteristics have been studied and compared. Light energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs increased with decreasing in light transmittance of CNT counter electrode. Efficiency of DSSCs having CNT counter electrode is compatible to that of Pt counter electrode.