Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Efficiencies Approaching 12 using FTOs Deposited by Atmospheric-Pressure CVD

摘要

Dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) are attractive renewable energy devices that benefit from low cost fabrication of large area cells, and compatibility with windows and polymer films. Despite of various strategies to improve cell performance, effect of transparent conducting oxides in particular, fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films is poorly understood primarily due to competing structural and thickness-related properties. Contrary to highly textured FTOs often recommended for the cells, we systematically deposited and characterised FTO thin films by in-line atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) coater with relatively smooth surfaces and low resistivities. As-deposited films in DSSCs showed power conversion efficiencies up to 11.9%, in contrast to the 7.11% obtained from those fabricated on a commercial FTO.