• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.447-452
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• 2018

Titanium nanotubes (TNT) of various lengths ranging from $0.34^{\circ}C$ to a maximum of $8.9^{\circ}C$ were prepared by anodizing a titanium metal sheet in an electrolyte containing fluorine ion ($F^-$) of HF, NaF and $NH_4F$. When TNT prepared by anodizing was calcined at $450^{\circ}C$, anatase crystals with photo activity were formed. The TNT-based dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) showed a maximum conversion efficiency of 4.71% when the TNT length was $2.5{\mu}m$. This value was about 18% higher than photo conversion efficiency of the FTO-based DSSC coated with titania paste. And the short circuit current density ($J_{sc}$) of the TNT-DSSC was $9.74mA/cm^2$, which was about 35% higher than the $7.19mA/cm^2$ of FTO-DSSC. The reason for the higher conversion efficiency of TNT-DSSC solar cells is that photoelectrons generated from dyes are rapidly transferred to the electrode surface through TNT, and the recombination of photoelectrons and dyes is suppressed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.294-294
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• 2010

Over the last decade, dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has attracted much attention due to the high solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency up to 10% as well as low cost compared with p-n junction photovoltaic devices. DSSC is composed of mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticle electrodes coated with photo-sensitized dye, the redox electrolyte and the metal counter electrode. The performances of DSSC are dependent on constituent materials and interface as well as device structure. Replacing the heavy glass substrate with plastic materials is crucial to enlarge DSSC applications for the competition with inorganic based thin film photovoltaic devices. One of the biggest problems with plastic substrates is their low-temperature tolerance, which makes sintering of the photoelectrode films impossible. Therefore, the most important step toward the low-temperature DSSC fabrication is how to enhance interparticle connection at the temperature lower than $150^{\circ}C$. In this talk, the key issues for high efficiency plastic solar cells will be discussed, and several strategies for the improvement of interconnection of nanoparticles and bendability will also be proposed.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2011

Properties of each layer in DSSC were investigated to improve solar cell characterstics. Also in this study, low costsolar simulator system is fabricated and used. Efficiency of DSSC is better in the case of thinner semiconductive layer, because thick semiconductive layer is acted as resistor. Sc-doped ZnO thin films showed better electrical property by proper donor doping effect. Among the dyes, DSSC containing N719 showed higher efficiency, because N719 have smaller electron affinity and shallow band gap.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.337-337
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• 2012

Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) having high efficiency with low cost was first reported by Gr$\ddot{a}$tzel et al. Many DSSC research groups attempt to enhance energy conversion efficiency by modifying the dye, electrolyte, Pt-coated electrode, and $TiO_2$ films. However, there are still some problems against realization of high-sensitivity DSSC such as the recombination of injected electrons in conduction band and the limited adsorption of dye on $TiO_2$ surface. The surface of $TiO_2$ is very important for improving hydrophilic property and dye adsorption on its surface. In this paper, we report a very efficient method to improve the efficiency and stability of DSSC with nano-structured $TiO_2$. Atmospheric plasma system was utilized for nitrogen plasma treatment on nano-structured $TiO_2$ film. We confirmed that the efficiency of DSSC was significantly dependent on plasma power. Relative in the $TiO_2$ surface change and characteristics after plasma was investigated by various analysis methods. The structure of $TiO_2$ films was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphology of $TiO_2$ films was observed using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The surface elemental composition was determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Each of plasma power differently affected conversion efficiency of DSSC with plasma-treated $TiO_2$ compared to untreated DSSC under AM 1.5 G spectral illumination of $100mWcm^{-2}$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1853-1856
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• 2013

$TiO_2$ hollow nanoparticles (HNPs) and their light scattering effect which influences on the photoelectric conversion efficiency of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) were investigated. When only HNPs were employed in DSSC as the anode layer material, the conversion efficiency (e.g., 0.96%) was the lowest, possibly due to scattering loss of incident light. However, DSSC fabricated by using HNPs as a scattering overlayer on the $TiO_2$ nanoparticles (P-25), showed higher conversion efficiency (4.02%) than that without using HNPs (3.36%).

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.315-320
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• 2012

In general, a photoelectrode in DSSC(dye sensitized solar cell) are fabricated by using the $TiO_2$ (Titanium dioxide) to realize high efficiency and the efficiency of DSSC is affected by the size, the shape and the property of $TiO_2$. We synthesized the crystalline $TiO_2$ by sol-gel method. In spite of many merits, only weakness for the sol-gel method is taking many process times. To solve this problem, we reduced the fabricating processes. The reduced process is the making process that is $TiO_2$ sol to $TiO_2$ powder with including of two heat treatment and two mixing. We could simplify the process by preparing $TiO_2$ sol to $TiO_2$ paste directly. As a result, DSSC fabrication process is simplified and we have obtained the efficiency best result 3.88% with $V_{OC}$=0.71 V, $J_{SC}=8.70\;mA/cm^{-2}$, and FF=62.37%, respectively.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2012

In DSSC, fundamental process conditions of upper electrode were established and low cost-oriented method for TCO layer was proposed. Especially, prominent properties, that is, open-circuit voltage of 500mV or more and short-circuit current of $25mA/cm^2$ were yielded by 2-step sintering of semiconductive powder layer. High efficiency-DSSC was able to fabricate without high cost-semiconductor apparatus in common laboratory conditions.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.57.2-57.2
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• 2011

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have recently been developed as a cost-effective photovoltaic system due to their low-cost materials and facile processing. The production of DSSC involves chemical and thermal processes but no vacuum is involved. Therefore, DSSC can be fabricated without using expensive equipment. The use of dyes and nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ is one of the most promising approaches to realize both high performance and low cost. The efficiency of the DSSC changes consequently in the particle size, morphology, crystallization and surface state of the $TiO_2$. Nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ materials have been widely used as a photo catalyst and an electron collector in DSSC. Front electrode in DSSC are required to have an extremely high porosity and surface area such that the dyes can be sufficiently adsorbed and be electronically interconnected, resulting in the efficient generation of photocurrent within cells. In this study, DSSC were fabricated by an screen printing for the $TiO_2$ thin film. $TiO_2$ nanoparticles characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and scanning auger microscopy (SAM) and zeta potential and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS).In addition, DSSC module was modeled and simulated using the SILVACO TCAD software program. Improve the efficiency of DSSC, the effect of $TiO_2$ thin film thickness and $TiO_2$ nanoparticle size was investigated by SILVACO TCAD software program.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.421-427
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• 2013

We report on the time dependent degradation of cell in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The photovoltaic performance of DSSC over a period of time was investigated in liquid electrolyte based on triiodide/iodide during six days. It was found that the short circuit current density ($j_{sc}$) of the cell dropped from 9.9 to $7mA/cm^2$ while efficiency (${\eta}$) of the cell decreased from 4.4 to 3.3%. The parameters corresponding to fundamental electronic and ionic processes in a working DSSC are determined from the electrochemical impedance spectrascopy (EIS) at open-circuit potential ($V_{oc}$). EIS study of the DSSC in the this work showed that the electron life time ${\tau}_r$ and chemical capacitance $C_{\mu}$ decreased significantly after six days. It was correlated the $j_{sc}$ and efficiency decreased after six days.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.53-57
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• 2019

Recently, the application field of solar panels is increasing. Accordingly, the demand for flexible devices is also steadily increasing. It is therefore necessary to develop $TiO_2$ paste for low-temperature annealing for flexible DSSC fabrication. In this study, the $TiO_2$ paste for low-temperature annealing with varying molar ratio of titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) was prepared, and DSSC was fabricated and its characteristics were compared. As a result, there was no deformation of the particles on the surface in the SEM data. However, the highest open circuit voltage, short circuit current, and fill factor were measured in the DSSC unit cell prepared by adding 0.5 mol of TTIP to the $TiO_2$ paste, and the highest efficiency was 4.148%.