• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.483.2-483.2
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• 2014

In this study, we describe a simple selective etching method that produces noncurling, freestanding, large-area, aligned $TiO_2$ nanotube (NT) with doubly ends opened. The novel selective etching process only removed the thin 2nd bottom layer from the physically and chemically stable thick amorphous 1st top layer under thermal treatment at $250^{\circ}C$, yielding ordered doubly open-ended NT (DNT) that could be easily transferred to an FTO substrate for the fabrication of front-illuminated dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The DNT-DSCs yielded a higher PCE (8.6%) than was observed from $TiO_2$ nanoparticle (TNP)-based DSCs (7.3%), for comparable film thicknesses of $16{\mu}m$, despite of 20% decreased amount of dye. Intensity-modulated photocurrent and photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS and IMVS, respectively) revealed that the DNT-DSCs exhibited electron lifetimes that were 10 times longer than those of TNP-DSCs, which contributed to high device performances.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.58 no.12
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• pp.2436-2440
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• 2009

In this work, TCO-less dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) using Ti-mesh layer is fabricated for high-efficient low-cost solar cell application. The Ti-mesh metal can replace TCO in the photo-electrode part of DSCs, thus the cell structure is composed of a glass/dye sensitized TiO2 particle/ Ti-mesh layer/electrolyte/Pt sputtered counter electrode/ glass. The Ti-mesh electrode with high conductivity can collect electrons from the $TiO_2$ layer and allows the ionic diffusion of $I^-/I_3^-$ through the mesh hole. Thin Ti-mesh ($\sim40{\mu}m$ in thickness) electrode material is processed using rapid prototype method. The efficiency of prepared TCO-less DSCs sample is about 1.45 % ((ff: 0.5, Voc: 0.52V, Jsc: 5.55 $mA/cm^2$).

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.513-517
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• 2007

To elucidate possible challenges for outdoor practical use of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), we compared conventional Si solar cells with DSCs. DSC modules still require a larger area than conventional Si solar modules to attain the same rated output because of lower photoelectron-chemical conversion efficiency. However, in backup systems by using batteries, the measured data shows that DSCs generated 15% more electricity than Si solar cells of the same rated output power in the same interval of cloudy daylight. Moreover, the battery charging time of DSCs is about 1 hour faster than the same rate of Si solar cells under outdoor cloudy daylight. This result also indicates that conversion efficiency obtained by the certified condition less than AM 1.5 condition does not always coincide with the electricity generated outdoors daily, and it is not a crucial measure to evaluate the performance of solar cells.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.53.2-53.2
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• 2011

Dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs) have been recognized as an alternative to the conventional p-n junction solar cells because of their simple fabrication process, low production cost, and transparency. A typical DSSC consists of a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) electrode, a dye-sensitized oxide semiconductor nanoparticle layer, liquid redox electrolyte, and a Pt-counter electrode. In dye-sensitized solar cells, charge recombination processes at interfaces between coducting glass, $TiO_2$, dye, and electrolyte play an important role in limiting the photon-to-electron conversion efficiency. A layer of ZTO thin film less than ~200nm in thickness, as a blocking layer, was deposited by DC magnetron sputtering method directly onto the anode electrode to be isolated from the electrolyte in dye-sensitized solar cells(DSCs). This is to prevent the electrons from back-transferring from the electrode to the electrolyte ($I^-/I_3^-$). The presented DSCs were fabricated with working electrode of Ga-doped ZnO glass coated with blocking ZTO layer, dye-attached nanoporous $TiO_2$ layer, gel electrolyte and counter electrode of Pt-deposited GZO glass. The effects of blocking layer were studied with respect to impedance and conversion efficiency of the cells.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 2005

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have been under investigation for the past decade due to their attractive features such as high energy conversion efficiency and low production costs. The basis for energy conversion is the injection of electrons from a photoexcited state of a dye sensitizer into the conduction band of the nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ semiconductor upon absorption of light. It is believed that the DSC is one of the most promising candidates for renewable energy sources. In this review, the development trends and perspectives of DSCs are investigated.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.1074_1075
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• 2009

A new type of dye-sensitized solar cells(DSCs) based on Ti-mesh electrode without using TCO layer is fabricated for high-efficient low-cost solar cell application. The TCO-less DSCs sample is composed of a [glass/ dye sensitized $TiO_2$ layer/ Ti-mesh electrode/ electrolyte/ metal counter electrode]. The Ti-mesh electrode with high conductivity can collect electrons from the $TiO_2$ layer and allows the ionic diffusion of $I^-/I_3^-$ through the mesh hole. Thin Ti-mesh ($\sim40{\mu}m$ in thickness) electrode material is processed using rapid prototype method. Electrical performance of as-fabricated DSCs is presented and discussed in detail.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.58 no.11
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• pp.2223-2228
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• 2009

Dye sensitized solar cells(DSCs) 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 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 fabricated $TiO_2$ film using that way, we investigated the characteristics of DSC through I-V Curve, SEM and EIS. This novel method shows stable performance with an energy conversion efficiency of 3.44 % under 1 sun illumination (AM 1, $P_{in}$ of $100\;mW/cm^2$).

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.754-758
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• 2010

In general, Dye-sensitized Solar Cells(DSCs) consist of the nanocrystalline titanium dioxide($TiO_2$) layer which is fabricated on a transparent conductive oxide(TCO) layer such as $F/SnO_2$ glass, a dye adhered to the $TiO_2$, an electrolyte solution and platinum-coated TCO. Among these components, two TCO substrates are estimated to be about 60% of the total cost of the DSCs. Currently novel TCO-less structures have been investigated in order to reduce the cost. In this study, TCO-less DSCs consisting of titanium electrodes were investigated. The titanium electrode is deposited on top of the porous $TiO_2$ layer using electron-beam evaporation process. The porosity of the titanium electrode was found out by the SEM analysis and dye adhesion. As a result, when the thickness of the titanium electrode increased, the surface resistance decreased and the conversion efficiency increased relatively.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.327-331
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• 2009

Nano-porous $TiO_2$ powder was fabricated using Acetylene black, applied photo voltaic device based on the Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (DSCs) was investigated experimentally. $TiO_2$-powder was fabricated using Ti-isopropoxide and 2-propanol by sol-gel combustion method. For cases of variable Acetylene black, characteristic of porosity, size of particle and crystallite of obtained $TiO_2$ nano-powder was investigated. The photovoltaic efficiency of the prepared DSCs was measured using $TiO_2$ film which prepared on each different heat treatment temperature($400^{\circ}C{\sim}700^{\circ}C$) with paste of $TiO_2$ powder. The porosity and size of particle of $TiO_2$ powder made with Acetylene black 0.4g was influenced significantly effect to DSCs characteristic. Heat treatment at $500^{\circ}C$ makes the better photovoltaic efficiency which 5.02%($J_{sc}=11.79mA/cm^2$, $V_{oc}=0.73V$, ff=0.58). The sol-gel combustion method was useful to DSCs fabrication.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.276.2-276.2
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• 2016

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are promising candidates for light-to-energy conversion devices due to their low-cost, easy fabrication and relative high conversion efficiency. An important component of DSCs is counter electrode (CE) collect electrons from external circuit and reduct I3- to I-. The conventional CEs are thermally decomposed Pt on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates, which have shown excellent performance and stability. However, Pt is not suitable in terms of cost effect. In this report, we demonstrated that nickel sulfide thin films by atomic layer deposition (ALD)-using Nickel(1-dimethylamino-2-methyl-2-butanolate)2 and hydrogen sulfide at low temperatures of $90-200^{\circ}C$-could be good CEs in DSCs. Notably, ALD allows the thin films to grow with good reproducibility, precise thickness control and excellent conformality at the angstrom or monolayer level. The nickel sulfide films were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, hall measurements and cyclic voltammetry. The ALD grown nickel sulfide thin films showed high catalytic activity for the reduction of I3- to I- in DSC. The DSCs with the ALD-grown nickel sulfide thin films as CEs showed the solar cell efficiency of 7.12% which is comparable to that of the DSC with conventional Pt coated counter electrode (7.63%).