• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2015.07a
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• pp.1100-1101
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• 2015

In this work, the effect of addition of acetylacetone on microstructure and quality of nanoporous $TiO_2$ photo-electrodes was studied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) and structure and electrical properties of fabricated cells were investigated. From the results, the DSCs fabricated with acetyl acetone showed highest photovoltaic performances. This behavior may be attributed to paste agglomeration decrease and interconnection and bonding improvement between $TiO_2$ particles. Furthermore, the most favorable dye absorption time results to be 10h: exceeding this time a decrease in efficiency is observed despite the increasing amount of dye absorption. The $TiO_2$ photo-electrode prepared under the conditions of acetylacetone ratio of 15% and dye absorption time of 10hr showed the better photovoltaic performance ($J_{sc}=12.48mA/cm^2$, $V_{oc}=0.69V$, ff=0.68, ${\eta}=5.86%$).

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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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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• 2008.10a
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• pp.124-127
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• 2008

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have been proposed as a substitute for overcoming the limitation of Si solar cells because DSC has the various applications using advantages of DSC such as low cost, transparency and flexibility. Although some people point out low efficiency of DSC as the important problem at present, general views say that actually cumulative power is not insufficient as compared with Si solar cell. Therefore, we analyzed the characteristics of both cells according to the change of incident angle in this study. The insensibility about the incident angle has more developable time. Finally, DSC is able to fill a shortage of power caused from low efficiency of DSC for same time by developing during impossible time to develop in Si solar cell. As a result, DSC has 75% and 210% cumulative power of Si solar cell in summer and winter under the standard sunshine duration.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.126-130
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• 2011

Transparent conductive oxide (TCO) is an important part in the construction of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) because of its low sheet resistance, sufficient light transparent ability and high photoelectrical response as a porous photo-electrode material of DSCs. However, the use of TCO for the two DSC electrodes can result in significant cost increase for the less effective DSCs compared to Si based solar cell. Therefore, the replacement of TCO is required for the commercial production of DSCs. In this study, TCO electrodes are replaced by stainless steel mesh. The 3.44[%] efficiency of the prepared TCO-less DSCs sample was obtained.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.187-191
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• 2006

Sputter deposition followed by surface treatment was studied using reactive RF plasma as a method for preparing titanium oxide $(TiO_2)$ films on the FTO $(SnO_2: F)$ substrate for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Anatase structure $TiO_2$ films deposited by reactive RF magnetron sputtering under the conditions of $Ar/O_2(5%)$ mixtures, RF power of 600W and substrate temperature of $400^{\circ}C$ were surface-treated by inductive coupled plasma (ICP) with $Ar/O_2$ mixtures at substrate temperature of $400^{\circ}C$, and thus the films were applied to the DSCs. We have chosen a solar cell width as a variable of a large-scaled DSCs and confirmed electric characteristics of an individual cell. As a result, the higher the internal resistance of DSC becomes, the wider the width gets. Internal resistance makes it difficult to collect photoelectron generated from dye. Ultimately up sizing DSC causes the increase of internal resistance and then has a bad effect on the cell characteristics.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of IIIuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.399-401
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• 2009

Transparent conductive metal oxide films of $In_{2-x}Ti_xO_3$ (ITiO) and $In_{2-x}Sn_xO_3$ (ITO) were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering at substrate temperature of $300^{\circ}C$ and at high rate (${\sim}10$nm/min). Electrical and optical properties of the films were investigated as well as film structure and morphology, as it is compared with the commercial F:$SnO_2$ (FTO) glass. Near infrared ray transmittance of ITiO is the highest for wavelengths over 1000nm, which can increase dye sensitized compared to ITiO and FTO. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) were fabricated using the ITiO, ITO and FTO. Photoconversion efficiency (${\eta}$) of DSC using ITiO is 5.5%, whereas 5.0% is obtained from DSC with ITO. both at 100 mW/$cm^2$ light intensity.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.239.1-239.1
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• 2011

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSC) are promising devices for inexpensive, nontoxic, transparent, and large-scale solar energy conversion. Generally thick $TiO_2$ nanoporous films act as efficient photoanodes with their large surface area for absorbing light. However, electron transport through nanoparticle networks causes the slowdown and the loss of electron transport because of a number of interparticle boundaries inside the conduction path. We have studied DSCs with precisely dimension-controlled $TiO_2$ nanotubes array as photoanode. $TiO_2$ nanotubes array is prepared by template-directed fabrication method with atomic layer deposition. Well-ordered nanotubes array provides not only large surface area for light absorbing but also direct pathway for electrons with minimalized grain boundaries. Large enlongated anatase grains in the nanotubes could enhance the conductivity of electrons, but also suppress the recombination with holes through defect sites during diffusion into the electrode. To study the effect of grain boundaries, we fabricated two kinds of nanotubes which have different grain sizes by controlling deposition conditions. And we studied electron conduction through two kinds of nanotubes with different grain structures. The solar cell performance was studied as a function of thickness and grain structures. And overall solar-to-electric energy conversion efficiencies of up to 7% were obtained.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.1423_1424
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• 2009

Dye sensitized solar cells(DSC) have been very economical and easy method to convert solar energy to electricity. DSC can reach low costs in future outdoor power applications. However, to commercialize the DSC, there are still many shortages to overcome such as a low efficiency in a large size DSC. In this study, DSCs were fabricated by an electrospray coating method for the $TiO_2$ thin film. They were compared with DSCs prepared by conventional coating methods. We conducted an experiment to obtain the optimized parameters of voltage, flow rate, incident angle and distance in the electrospray method. After we manufactured $TiO_2$ film using that way, we could analyze the characteristics of DSC through SEM, UV curve, EIS.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.123-127
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• 2007

Up sizing of dye-sensitized solar cell(DSC) is the important technology to bring about commercialization of DSC. Several studies to obtain a stable large area DSC have been investigated in overseas laboratories, but have been hardly done in our country. In this study, up sizing technology of dye sensitized solar cells(DSCs) was investigated. We investigated low dark current materials for the current collecting grid. From the result, a new DSC module with metal grid was designed, and fabricated. For a new interconnection, both working and counter electrodes are alternately coupled on 10[cm]$\times$7[cm] substrate. We have achieved 68% of fill factor and photoelectric conversion efficiency of around 2.6% as the best results of new designed DSC structure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.71-71
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• 2011

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have drawn great academic attention due to their potential as low-cost renewable energy sources. DSCs contain a nanostructured TiO2 photoanode, which is a key-component for high conversion efficiency. Particularly, one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructured photoanodes can enhance the electron transport for the efficient collection to the conducting substrate in competition with the recombination processes. This is because photoelectron colletion is determined by trapping/detrapping events along the site of the electron traps (defects, surface states, grain boundaries, and self-trapping). Therefore, 1-D nanostructured photoanodes are advantageous for the fast electron transport due to their desirable features of greatly reduced intercrystalline contacts with specified directionality. In particular, anodic TiO2 nanotube (NT) electrodes recently have been intensively explored owing to their ideal structure for application in DSCs. Besides the enhanced electron transport properties resulted from the 1-D structure, highly ordered and vertically oriented nanostructure of anodic TiO2 NT can contribute additional merits, such as enhanced electrolyte diffusion, better interfacial contact with viscous electrolytes. First, to confirm the advantages of 1-D nanostructured material for the photoelectron collection, we compared the electron transport and charge recombination characteristics between nanoparticle (NP)- and nanorod (NR)-based photoanodes in DSCs by the stepped light-induced transient measurements of photocurrent and voltage (SLIM-PCV). We confirmed that the electron lifetime of the NR-based photoanode was much longer than that of the NP-based photoanode. In addition, highly ordered and vertically oriented TiO2 NT photoanodes were prepared by electrochemical anodization method. We compared the photovoltaic properties of DSCs utilizing TiO2 NT photoanodes prepared by one-step anodization and two-step anodization. And, to reduce the charge recombination rate, energy barrier layer (ZnO, Al2O3)-coated TiO2 NTs also applied in DSC. Furthermore, we applied the TiO2 NT photoanode in DSCs using a viscous electrolyte, i.e., cobalt bipyridyl redox electrolyte, and confirmed that the pore structure of NT array can enhance the performances of this viscous electrolyte.