Plasma treatment for solar conversion efficiency improvement of TCO-less Ti-electrode-based dye-sensitized solar cells

• Published in: Materials letters Vol. 153; pp. 140 - 142
• Main Authors: Jung, Haeng-Yun, Lee, Gab-Yong, Ki, Hyun-Chul, Gu, Hal-Bon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15-08-2015
• Subjects: Dye-sensitized solar cells; Plasma treatment; Surface roughness; TCO-less; Ti-electrode; TCO-less; Ti-electrode; Dye-sensitized solar cells; Surface roughness; Plasma treatment
• ISSN: 0167-577X; 1873-4979
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2015.04.041

To improve solar conversion efficiency of transparent-conductive-oxide (TCO)-less Ti-electrode-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), plasma treatment improved the local root mean square surface roughness (RMS) of the Ti-electrodes and the adherence ability of TiO2. The solar conversion efficiency of the cell increased with the RMS of the Ti-electrodes. Pure Ti700-electrode-based DSSCs with RMS of 5.16nm exhibited 4.30% solar conversion efficiency, slightly less than the 5.26% solar conversion efficiency of commercial fluorine-doped-tin-oxide (FTO)-based DSSCs with RMS of 25.60nm. Ti700-P15-300W electrode-based DSSCs with RMS of 18.85nm showed 5.24% solar conversion efficiency. Ti700-P20-300W electrode-based DSSCs with RMS of 22.57nm showed the best solar conversion efficiency of 5.44%, a circuit photocurrent density of 13.58mAcm−2, an open circuit voltage of 0.696V, and fill factor of 57.60%. This cell improves upon the properties of a pure Ti700-electrode-based DSSCs by about 26.5%.
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•We report on the improvement of TCO-less Ti-electrode-based DSSCs.•The RMS of the Ti electrode was increased by plasma treatment to improve adherence.•As the electrode׳s RMS increased, the cell׳s solar conversion efficiency increased.•RMS and cell conversion efficiency display a direct linear relationship.•Ti700-P20-300W-based DSSCs show greater efficiency than commercial FTO cells.