Flexible fluorine-doped tin oxide based composite electrodes for photovoltaic applications

摘要

Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films have been deposited by spray pyrolysis on flexible substrate showing both promising electro-optical and mechanical properties. In parallel, FTO layers have also been grown under the same conditions on three-dimensional substrate made of glass on which spin coated zinc oxide nanoparticles were deposited in order to fabricate diffuse FTO thin films. At an optimal nanoparticle surface density, the FTO layer exhibits a haze factor averaging 72% over the visible range owing to cauliflower-like structres as revealed by secondary electron microscopy. The electro-optical properties were not found to degrade significantly as compared with growth on a bare glass substrate. A sheet resistance of 10.5 Ω/sq combined with an average total transmittance of 76% in the visible range, substrate included, were obtained. The aim of this study is to eventually fabricate flexible diffuse transparent electrodes for photovoltaic applications.