• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.273-273
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• 2006

The encapsulation of volatile organic electrolytes is a major challenge in practical applications of the DSSC. Ionic liquid (IL) within polymer electrolytes is an attractive candidate for replacement. Here we used a low viscosity ionic liquid 1-ethyl 3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate in order to modify ionic conductivity (${\sigma}$) of polymer electrolyte ($PEO:Kl/l_{2}$) and hence DSSC efficiency. The doping of IL enhanced ${\sigma}$ and attained maximum (${\sigma}=7.62{\times}10^{-4}S/cm$) at 80 wt% of IL concentration. Beyond this it was harder to get stable films. XRD confirmed that the intensity of the sharp PEO crystalline peaks decreased when IL was added. The DSC studies confirmed the reduction in crystallinity by adding ionic liquid.The efficiency of solar cell using aforesaid material was 0.6 % at 1 sun irradiation.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.176-181
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• 2009

In this work, a new type of DSCs based on nanoporous FTO structure is being developed for research aimed at low-cost high-efficiency solar cell application. The nanoporous FTO materials have been prepared through the sol-gel combustion method followed by thermal treatment at $450{\sim}850[^{\circ}C]$. The properties of the nanoporous FTO materials were investigated by IR spectra, BET and TEM analyses, and the photovoltaic performance of the prepared DSCs were examined. It can be seen from the result that the nanoporous FTO exhibited good transparent conductive properties, well suited for DSCs application.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2011.07a
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• pp.1509-1510
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• 2011

염료 감응형 태양전지 동작에 있어 상대전극 표면에서 전해질의 산화, 환원 반응이 일어나기 위한 촉매의 역할이 중요하며 그 중 Pt는 촉매로써 널리 쓰이는 물질이다. Pt 도포 방식은 sputtering, Pt paste를 이용한 doctor blade, Pt solution을 이용한 spin coating 등 여러 가지가 있으며 제작 조건에 따라 그 특성도 다르게 된다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 Pt solution의 열처리에서 온도를 달리하여 그에 따른 특성을 알아보자 하였다. 그 결과 Pt solution 소성온도가 $400^{\circ}C$일 때, 가장 적절한 Pt층이 형성되기 때문에 산화, 환원반응이 활발하게 되어 높은 효율(6.8%)의 DSC 특성을 얻을 수 있었다.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2011.07a
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• pp.1471-1472
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• 2011

최근 경재적인 한계를 드러내고 있는 실리콘 태양전지의 대안으로 주목받고 있는 염료감응형 태양전지는 식물의 광합성 원리에 기초하여 빛이 입사하면 염료 분자가 포톤을 흡수해 여기하면서 전자를 방출함으로써 기전력을 발생시키는 원리로 동작한다. 염료에서 발생된 전자는 $TiO_2$의 conduction band로 주입되어 확산을 통해 TCO 기판으로 이동한다. 이때 다공성 나노구조의 $TiO_2$ 표면과 전해질의 접촉이 발생하게 되고 이로 인해 $TiO_2$ conduction band의 전자와 전해질의 $I_3{^-}$ 간의 재결합이 발생하게 되는데 이것은 DSC의 기능을 저하시키는 요인 중의 하나이다. 이러한 문제점은 $Al_2O_3$, ZnO, MgO, $BaTiO_2$ 등의 표면처리에 의한 core-shell 나노구조를 형성함으로써 해결할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 aluminum isopropoxidee와 magnesium chloride 혼합 용액을 사용하여 core-shell 나노구조를 형성하여 셀을 제작하고, 완성된 셀의 출력특성과 내부 임피던스의 변화를 측정, 분석함으로써 단일 용액을 사용하였을 때에 비해 효과적인 재결합 감소와 광전압의 상승효과를 확인할 수 있었다.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.1262-1263
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• 2008

Recently film-typed dye sensitized solar cell(DSC) attracts much attention with increasing applications for its flexibility and transparency. The ZnO:Al thin film, which serves mainly as transparent conducting electrode, Aluminium-doped zinc oxide(ZnO:Al) thin film has emerged as one of the most promising transparent conducting films since it is inexpensive, mechanically stable, and highly resistant to deoxidation. In this paper ZnO:Al thin film was deposited on the polyethylene terephthalate(PET) substrate by the capacitively coupled r. f. magnetron sputtering method. The effects of gas pressure and r. f. discharge power on the morphological, electrical and optical properties of ZnO:Al thin film were studied. Especially the variation in substrate thickness after sputtering and surface morphology of the substrate were investigated and clarified. The results showed that the film deposited on the PET substrate at r. f. discharge power of 180 W showed the minimum resistivity of about $1.5{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}-cm$ and a transmittance of about 93%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.405-406
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• 2013

Ga-doped ZnO (GZO)는 $300^{\circ}C$ 이상의 온도에서는 전기적으로 불안정하기 때문에 CIGS, CdTe, DSC와 같은 태양전지의 높은 공정온도 때문에 사용이 제한적이다. ZTO thin film은 Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2, ZnO tihin film과 비교하여 산소 및 수분에 대하여 투과성이 상대적으로 낮은 것으로 알려져 있다. 따라서 GZO single layer에 비하여 ZTO-GZO multi-layer를 구성하여 TCO를 제작하면, 높은 공정온도에서도 사용 가능하다. 실제 제작된 GZO single layer (300 nm)에서 비저항이 $7.69{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$에서 $500^{\circ}C$에서 열처리 후 $7.76{\times}10^{-2}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$으로 급격하게 상승한다. ZTO single layer (420 nm)는 as-grown에서는 측정 불가했지만, $400^{\circ}C$에서 열처리 후 $3.52{\times}10^{-1}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ $500^{\circ}C$에서 열처리 후 $4.10{\times}10^{-1}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$으로 열처리에 따른 큰 변화가 없다. 또한 ZTO-GZO multi-layer (720 nm)의 경우 비저항이 $2.11{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$에서 $500^{\circ}C$에서 열처리 후 $3.67{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$으로 GZO에 비하여 상대적으로 변화폭이 작다. 또한 ZTO의 두께에 따른 영향을 확인하기 위하여 ZTO를 2 scan, 4 scan, 6 scan 공정 진행 및 $500^{\circ}C$에서 열처리 후 ZTO, ZTO-GZO thin film의 비저항을 측정하였다. ZTO의 경우 $3.34{\times}10^{-1}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ (2 scan), $3.62{\times}10^{-1}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ (4 scan), $4.1{\times}10^{-1}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ (6 scan)으로 큰 차이가 없으며, ZTO-GZO에서도 $3.73{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ (2 scan), $3.42{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ (4 scan), $3.67{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ (6 scan)으로 큰 차이가 없음을 확인하였다. 염료감응 태양전지에 적용하여 기존에 사용되는 FTO대신에 ZTO-GZO를 사용하며, 가격적 측면, 성능적 측면에서 개선 가능할 것으로 생각된다.