• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.33 no.12
• /
• pp.4093-4097
• /
• 2012

We introduced a new UV-cured resin polymer gel as an electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) that is cured with UV irradiation to form a thin film of UV-cured resin polymer gel in the cells. The gel film was characterized and its potential for use as an electrolyte in DSSCs was investigated. This new UV-cured resin polymer gel was successfully applied as a gel polymer electrolyte in DSSCs overcoming the problems associated with the liquid electrolytes in typical DSSCs. The effect of ${\gamma}$-butylrolactone (GBL) on the long-term stability and photovoltaic performance in DSSCs using this UV-cured resin polymer gel electrolyte was also investigated. The results of the energy conversion efficiency, ionic conductivity and Raman spectra of the UV-cured resin polymer gel electrolyte with the addition of 6 wt % GBL to the UV-cured resin polymer electrolyte showed good long-term stability and photovoltaic performance for the DSSCs with the UV-cured polymer gel electrolyte.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.1204-1208
• /
• 2012

A new photoelectrode composed of $Sb_6O_{13}$ nanoparticles with the size of 20-30 nm has been prepared via thermolysis of a colloidal antimony pentoxide tetrahydrate ($Sb_2O_5{\cdot}4H_2O$) suspension. The $Sb_6O_{13}$ electrode showed good semiconducting properties applicable to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs); the energy band gap was estimated to be $3.05{\pm}0.5$ eV and the position of conduction band edge was close to those of $TiO_2$ and ZnO. The DSSC assembled with the $Sb_6O_{13}$ photoelectrode and a conventional ruthenium-dye (N719) exhibited the overall photo-current conversion efficiency of 0.74% ($V_{oc}$ = 0.76 V, $J_{sc}=1.99\;mAcm{-2}$, fill factor = 0.49) under AM 1.5, $100\;mWcm^{-2}$ illumination.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.411-414
• /
• 2013

In order to enhance the photovoltaic property of the CdS/CdSe co-sensitized quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs), the surface of nanoporous $TiO_2$ photoanode was modified by ultrathin $Al_2O_3$ layer before the deposition of quantum dots (QDs). The $Al_2O_3$ layer, dip-coated by 0.10 M Al precursor solution, exhibited the optimized performance in blocking the back-reaction of the photo-injected electrons from $TiO_2$ conduction band (CB) to polysulfide electrolyte. Transient photocurrent spectra revealed that the electron lifetime (${\tau}_e$) increased significantly by introducing the ultrathin $Al_2O_3$ layer on $TiO_2$ surface, whereas the electron diffusion coefficient ($D_e$) was not varied. As a result, the $V_{oc}$ increased from 0.487 to 0.545 V, without appreciable change in short circuit current ($J_{sc}$), thus inducing the enhancement of photovoltaic conversion efficiency (${\eta}$) from 3.01% to 3.38%.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.240-245
• /
• 2013

The utilization of a fluoran leuco sensitizer, 2-anilino-6-dibutyl amino-3-methylfluoran (ODB-2), for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was investigated through the examination of the adsorption of ODB-2 molecules onto the surfaces of porous titanium dioxide (titania, $TiO_2$) films and the photovoltaic properties of ODB-2-based DSSCs. Despite of the absence of the specific anchoring groups with titania, ODB-2 dye molecules were spontaneously adsorbed onto the titania surfaces because the lactone ring in ODB-2 was opened and changed into the carboxylic acid (-COOH) by releasing protons from the surfaces ($TiOH_2{^+}$) of titania, which consequently leads to the chemisorption reaction of ODB-2 molecules to the active sites of titania. DSSCs based on ODB-2 exhibited typical photovoltaic properties with an open-circuit voltage ($V_{OC}$) of 0.19 V, a short-circuit current ($J_{SC}$) of $0.30\;mA{\cdot}cm^{-2}$, a fill factor (FF) of 37%, and a conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.02%.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.252-256
• /
• 2013

We introduced sensitizing dyes into the bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic (PV) layer of polymer solar cells (PSCs). The sensitizing dyes doped were Bis(tetra butyl ammonium) cis-dithio cyanato bis(2,2'-bipyridine-4-carboxylicacid-4'-carboxylate) ruthenium (II) (N719 dye) and the BHJ PV layer used was made of poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl $C_{61}$-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). It was found that the N719 dyes increase the photovoltaic performance, i.e., increasing open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density with improved fill factor. For the P3HT:PCBM PV cells doped with the N719 dyes (0.24 wt%), an increase in power conversion efficiency of 4.0% was achieved, compared to that of the control cells (3.6%) without the N719 dyes.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.501-505
• /
• 2009

$TiO_2$ nano-particle paste was prepared by ethyl cellulose, $\alpha$-terpineol and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (dioxcyl phthalate) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Dispersion and absorbance of $TiO_2$ photoanode films was controlled by adding different amount of ethyl cellulose and $\alpha$-terpineol. The morphology of prepared $TiO_2$ films was studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and the optical properties of $TiO_2$ films were measured by UV/vis spectra. Photovoltaic-current density was observed to determine the electrochemical response of DSSCs. Energy conversion efficiency was obtained about 7.1% at ethyl cellulose and $\alpha$-terpineol at optimal mixed ratio (as ethyl cellulose: 0.1 g; $\alpha$-terpineol: 1.5 ml) under illumination with AM 1.5($100\;Wcm^{-2}$) simulated sunlight.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2006.06a
• /
• pp.154-157
• /
• 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.

• Transactions of the Society of Information Storage Systems
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.42-47
• /
• 2013

In this study, we have experimentally analyzed how the surface properties of transparent electrode layer influence the photovoltaic performance of bulk heterojunction organic solar cell by the contact angle measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) observation. As a result, the power conversion efficiency of test devices improved from 0.64% to 1.83% and 2.15% by UV-ozone exposure and $O_2$ plasma treatment, respectively. Thus, we conclude that the surface activation process is very important for better performance and stability in addition to the cleaning process of carbonate residue on the surface.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.46 no.12
• /
• pp.835-840
• /
• 2008

Texturing for crystalline silicon solar cells is one of the important techniques to increase conversion efficiency by effective photon trapping. Generally, incoming wafers or alkali etched wafers are used for texturing. From this conventional etching process, $7{\sim}10{\mu}m$-sized random pyramids are formed. In this study, acid etching for removal of saw damages was practiced before texturing. This improved the resulting surface morphology, which consisted of $2{\sim}4{\mu}m$-sized pyramids. Because these pyramids covered the surface much more extensively, we obtained reduction of optical losses on the surface. In order to compare with conventional texturing, FE-SEM is used for observing surface morphology and reflectance data is analyzed by UV-VIS spectrophotometer.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.30 no.12
• /
• pp.660-665
• /
• 2020

Silicon heterojunction solar cells can achieve high conversion efficiency with a simple structure. In this study, we investigate the passivation characteristics of VOx thin films as a hole-selective contact layer using ALD (atomic layer deposition). Passivation characteristics improve with iVoc (implied open-circuit voltage) of 662 mV and minority carrier lifetime of 73.9 µs after post-deposition annealing (PDA) at 100 ℃. The improved values are mainly attributed to a decrease in carbon during the VOx thin film process after PDA. However, once it is annealed at temperatures above 250 ℃ the properties are rapidly degraded. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to analyze the chemical states of the VOx thin film. As the annealing temperature increases, it shows more formation of SiOx at the interface increases. The ratio of V5+ to V4+, which is the oxidation states of vanadium oxide thin films, are 6:4 for both as-deposition and annealing at 100 ℃, and 5:5 for annealing at 300 ℃. The lower the carbon content of the ALD VOx film and the higher the V5+ ratio, the better the passivation characteristics.