Development of a selective chemical etch to improve the conversion efficiency of Zn-rich Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells

Improvement of the efficiency of Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) (CZTS)-based solar cells requires the development of specific procedures to remove or avoid the formation of detrimental secondary phases. The presence of these phases is favored by the Zn-rich and Cu-poor conditions that are required to obtain device-grade layers. We have developed a selective chemical etching process based on the use of hydrochloric acid solutions to remove Zn-rich secondary phases from the CZTS film surface, which are partly responsible for the deterioration of the series resistance of the cells and, as a consequence, the conversion efficiency. Using this approach, we have obtained CZTS-based devices with 5.2% efficiency, which is nearly twice that of the devices we have prepared without this etching process.     

Highly efficient plastic substrate dye-sensitized solar cells using a compression method for preparation of TiO(2) photoelectrodes

The efficiency of a plastic-substrate dye-sensitized solar cell was much improved by a new method consisting of a press method without heat treatment, light confinement effect of TiO(2) film and water-based TiO(2) paste; this device shows the highest light-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency based on plastic-substrate dye-sensitized solar cells, 7.4% under 100 mW cm(-2) (1 sun) AM1.5 illumination.     

The consequences of kesterite equilibria for efficient solar cells

Copper-zinc-tin-chalcogenide kesterites, Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) and Cu(2)ZnSnSe(4) (CZTS(e)) are ideal candidates for the production of thin film solar cells on large scales due to the high natural abundance of all constituents, a tunable direct band gap ranging from 1.0 to 1.5 eV, a large absorption coefficient, and demonstrated power conversion efficiencies close to 10%. However, Sn losses through desorption of SnS(e) from CZTS(e) at elevated temperatures (above 400 °C) impede the thorough control of film composition and film homogeneity. No robust and feasible fabrication process is currently available. Here we show that understanding the formation reaction of the kesterite absorber is the key to control the growth process and to drastically improve the solar cell efficiency. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this knowledge can be used to simplify the four-dimensional parameter space (spanned by the four different elements) to an easy and robust two-dimensional process. Sufficiently high partial pressures of SnS(e) and S(e) (a) prevent the decomposition reaction of the CZTS(e) at elevated temperatures and (b) introduce any missing Sn into a Sn-deficient film. This finding enables us to simplify the precursor to a film containing only Cu and Zn, whereas Sn and S(e) are introduced from the gas phase by a self-regulating process.     

Triton X-100对染料敏化太阳电池性能影响的研究

采用无水相体系的胶体通过丝网印刷工艺制备TiO2薄膜电极,研究发现曲拉通(TritonX-100)可以明显改变TiO2电极显微结构,且对染料敏化太阳电池的性能影响显著.过少或过多的曲拉通都将导致开路电压、短路电流、填充因子以及效率的降低.由3gP25粉末配制的胶体中,曲拉通适宜的加入量约为0.8mL.     

Surface-treated TiO2 nanoparticles for dye-sensitized solar cells with remarkably enhanced performance

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were prepared by capitalizing on mesoporous P-25 TiO(2) nanoparticle film sensitized with N719 dyes. Subjecting TiO(2) nanoparticle films to TiCl(4) treatment, the device performance was improved. More importantly, O(2) plasma processing of TiO(2) film that was not previously TiCl(4)-treated resulted in a lower efficiency; by contrast, subsequent O(2) plasma exposure after TiCl(4) treatment markedly enhanced the power conversion efficiency, PCE, of DSSCs. Remarkably, with TiCl(4) and O(2) plasma treatments dye-sensitized TiO(2) nanoparticle solar cells produced with 21 μm thick TiO(2) film illuminated under 100 mW/cm(2) exhibited a PCE as high as 8.35%, twice of untreated cells of 3.86%.     

TiO2/ZnO薄膜电极中光生电子的传输及其在太阳电池中的应用

制备了TiO2纳米颗粒和ZnO纳米棒混合的多孔薄膜电极, 利用瞬态光电压技术研究了染料敏化TiO2/ZnO薄膜中光生载流子的传输特性. 实验结果表明, ZnO纳米棒增加了薄膜中自由电子扩散速率, 减小了复合几率, 改善了能量转换效率.     

Deposition of a thin film of TiOx from a titanium metal target as novel blocking layers at conducting glass/TiO2 interfaces in ionic liquid mesoscopic TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cells

In dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells, charge recombination processes at interfaces between fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), TiO2, dye, and electrolyte play an important role in limiting the photon-to-electron conversion efficiency. From this point of view, a high work function material such as titanium deposited by sputtering on FTO has been investigated as an effective blocking layer for preventing electron leakage from FTO without influencing electron injection. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicates that different species of Ti (Ti4+, Ti3+, Ti2+, and a small amount of Ti0) exist on FTO. Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical measurements reveal that thin films of titanium species, expressed as TiOx, work as a compact blocking layer between FTO and TiO2 nanocrystaline film, improving Voc and the fill factor, finally giving a better conversion efficiency for dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells with ionic liquid electrolytes.     

Temperature dependence of phonon modes, dielectric functions, and interband electronic transitions in Cu2ZnSnS4 semiconductor films

The quaternary semiconductor Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) (CZTS) has attracted a lot of attention as a possible absorber material for solar cells due to its direct bandgap and high absorption coefficient. In this study, photovoltaic CZTS nanocrystalline film with a grain size of about 10 nm has been grown on a c-plane sapphire substrate by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. With increasing the temperature from 86 to 323 K, the A(1) phonon mode shows a red shift of about 9 cm(-1) due to the combined effects of thermal expansion and the anharmonic coupling to the other phonons. Optical and electronic properties of the CZTS film have been investigated by transmittance spectra in the temperature range of 8-300 K. Near-infrared-ultraviolet dielectric functions have been extracted with the Tauc-Lorentz dispersion model. The fundamental band gap E(0), and higher-energy critical points E(1) and E(2) are located at 1.5, 3.6, and 4.2 eV, respectively. Owing to the influences of electron-phonon interaction and the lattice expansion, the three interband transitions present a red shift trend with increasing temperature. It was found that the absorption coefficient in the visible region increases due to the modifications of electronic band structures. The detailed study of the optical properties of CZTS film can provide an experimental basis for CZTS-based solar cell applications.     

Standing wave enhancement of red absorbance and photocurrent in dye-sensitized titanium dioxide photoelectrodes coupled to photonic crystals

The light harvesting efficiency of dye-sensitized photoelectrodes was enhanced by coupling a TiO(2) photonic crystal layer to a conventional film of TiO(2) nanoparticles. In addition to acting as a dielectric mirror, the inverse opal photonic crystal caused a significant change in dye absorbance which depended on the position of the stop band. Absorbance was suppressed at wavelengths shorter than the stop band maximum and was enhanced at longer wavelengths. This effect arises from the slow group velocity of light in the vicinity of the stop band, and the consequent localization of light intensity in the voids (to the blue) or in the dye-sensitized TiO(2) (to the red) portions of the photonic crystal. By coupling a photonic crystal to a film of TiO(2) nanoparticles, the short circuit photocurrent efficiency across the visible spectrum (400-750 nm) could be increased by about 26%, relative to an ordinary dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO(2) photoelectrode.     

Properties of chemical vapour deposited nanocrystalline TiO2 thin films and their use in dye-sensitized solar cells

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin films have been prepared using titanium(IV) isopropoxide as a precursor onto the glass and fluorine doped tin oxide coated glass substrates by chemical vapour deposition technique at 400 °C substrate temperature. X-ray diffraction study confirms the polycrystalline nature of TiO₂ with anatase phase having tetragonal crystal structure. The films are 975 nm thick and transparent having transmittance grater than 80%. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images reveal the nanocrystalline morphology with grain size of 200 nm. The film shows a sharp absorption edge near 350 nm. Photoelectrochemical study shows that TiO₂ thin film sensitized with Brown Orange dye is found to exhibit relatively maximum I_sc and V_oc among the studied dyes. The values of fill factor (FF) and efficiency (η) for the dye-sensitized solar cell (Brown Orange dye-sensitized TiO₂) are 0.54 and 0.17%, respectively. Such films would serve as better prospects for dye-sensitized solar cells.     

A novel photoanode architecture of dye-sensitized solar cells based on TiO2 hollow sphere/nanorod array double-layer film

A novel TiO(2) double-layer (DL) film consisting of TiO(2) hollow spheres (HSs) as overlayer and single-crystalline TiO(2) nanorod arrays (RAs) as underlayer was designed as the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This new-typed TiO(2) HS/RA DL film could significantly improve the efficiency of DSSCs owing to its synergic effects, i.e. the relatively large specific surface area of TiO(2) HSs for effective dye adsorption, enhanced light harvesting capability originated from TiO(2) RA film, and rapid interfacial electron transport in one-dimensional TiO(2) nanorod arrays. The overall energy-conversion efficiency of 4.57% was achieved by the formation of TiO(2) DL film, which is 16% higher than that formed by TiO(2) HS film and far larger than that formed by TiO(2) RA film (η=0.99%). The light absorption and interfacial electron transport, which play important roles in the efficiency of DSSCs, were investigated by UV-vis absorption spectra and electrochemical impedance spectra.     

Dye-sensitized solar cells based on WO3

In research on alternative photoanode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), there is rarely any report on WO(3), probably due to its acidic surface and more positive (vs NHE) conduction band edge position compared to TiO(2) and ZnO. For the first time, dye-sensitized solar cells based on porous WO(3) nanoparticle films were successfully fabricated with efficiency of up to 0.75%. The multicrystalline structure of WO(3) was examined by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that significant performance enhancement can be obtained from treating the WO(3) nanoparticle film with TiCl(4); the TiCl(4)-treated WO(3) DSCs were recorded with efficiency reaching 1.46%.     

电沉积法制备固态染料敏化太阳能电池

本文采用一步电化学沉积的方法在导电玻璃上先后沉积了ZnO/染料复合薄膜以及CuSCN薄层,实现仅以电沉积法制备结构为ZnO/染料/CuSCN的固态染料敏化太阳能电池,电池的光电转换效率达到0.1%.在电沉积CuSCN前,脱附电沉积制备的ZnO/染料复合薄膜中的染料以形成多孔ZnO薄膜,然后通过染料再吸附得到染料敏化ZnO纳晶多孔薄膜.在电沉积过程中,ZnO和CuSCN的晶体尺寸、晶体取向和膜层形貌都可以进行比较精准的控制.探讨了影响沉积薄膜形貌和光电转换效率的因素,如旋转圆盘电极的旋转速度、电沉积温度以及染料敏化剂的选择.本文报道的低温电沉积制备全固态太阳能电池的方法为制备柔性染料敏化太阳能电池提供了一种新的思路.     

Polyol-mediated synthesis of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 kesterite nanoparticles and their use in thin-film solar cells

Cu₂ZnSnS₄ kesterite nanoparticles (CZTS) with a particle diameter of 10–20 nm are prepared by a polyol-mediated synthesis with diethylene glycol as the liquid phase. The polyol – a high-boiling multidentate alcohol − allows controlling the particle size and agglomeration as well as preparing readily crystalline nanoparticles. The as-prepared kesterite nanoparticles exhibit an overall composition of Cu_1.56Zn_1.29Sn_1.16S_4.59 and a band gap of 1.37 eV. As a first test, thin-film solar cells are manufactured after layer deposition of the as-prepared CZTS nanoparticles and conversion to Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ (CZTSSe) via gas-phase selenization. The volume increase of about 15% due to the CZTS-to-CZTSSe conversion supports the formation of a dense layer, reduces the interparticulate surfaces and leads to a reduction of the band gap to 1.14 eV. The chemical composition of the as-prepared CZTS nanoparticles and of the deposited CZTSSe thin film prior and after selenization are studied in detail by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence analysis. All these methods confirm the intended copper-poor and zinc-/tin-rich CZTS/CZTSSe composition. The resulting thin-film solar cells show an open-circuit voltage of 247.3 mV, a short-circuit current density of 21.3 mA/cm², a fill factor of 41.1% and a power-conversion efficiency of 2.2%.     

TiO2纳米晶复合纳米棒染料敏化太阳能电池

通过二次水热法合成锐钛矿TiO₂纳米棒(ANR). 采用X射线衍射(XRD)、场发射扫描电镜(FE-SEM)和透射电镜(TEM)等手段对其进行表征. 通过调节ANR和锐钛矿纳米颗粒(ANP)的掺杂比例来增加TiO₂纳米晶膜的光捕获效率和电子传输速率, 并对比了单层结构(ANR+ANP)和双层结构(ANP/(ANR+ANP))的纳米晶膜光阳极的光电转化性能. 在AM 1.5、光强100 mW·cm^-2的模拟太阳光下测试, 染料N719敏化的双层结构太阳能电池光电转化效率达7.3%, 比相同条件下单层纯ANP光阳极器件的光电转化效率(6.1%)提高了20%.     

Room-temperature preparation of nanocrystalline TiO2 films and the influence of surface properties on dye-sensitized solar energy conversion

An extremely easy method is presented for producing surfactant-free films of nanocrystalline TiO2 at room temperature with excellent mechanical stability when deposited on glass or plastic electrodes for dye-sensitized solar energy conversion. Prolonged magnetic stirring of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles (Degussa P25) in either ethanol or water results in highly homogeneous dispersions which are used to prepare TiO2 films with surface properties which depend on the solvent used for dispersing the particles, even after sintering. The optical and mechanical properties of films cast from ethanol and water dispersions are compared, and differences in the extent of surface defects and dye binding are observed. Optical absorption, photoluminescence, and resonance Raman spectra of TiO2 films sensitized with Ru(4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridine)2(NCS)2 ("N3") reveal that the electronic coupling of the dye and semiconductor depends on the surface structure of the film which varies with film preparation. Current-voltage data for illuminated and dark dye-sensitized solar cells are obtained as a function of film preparation, and results are compared to spectroscopic data in order to interpret the microscopic basis for variations in solar cell performance, especially with regard to sintered versus unsintered TiO2 films. The results suggest that surface traps associated with oxygen vacancies play a critical role in determining the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar energy conversion through their influence on the binding and electronic coupling of the dye to the semiconductor.     

纳米级包覆层厚度对染料敏化太阳电池中电子注入效率和电子寿命的影响

选取氧化钐作为包覆材料, 采用浸渍法对已烧结好的纳米TiO₂多孔薄膜电极进行修饰, 并将其应用于染料敏化太阳电池中, 研究了纳米级氧化钐包覆层厚度及均匀性对染料敏化太阳电池中电子注入效率和电子复合过程的影响和作用机制. 结果表明, 包覆层厚度对电子注入效率和电子复合具有明显影响, 且电子注入效率和电子寿命随包覆层厚度的增加而呈现相反的变化趋势, 包覆层厚度在0.4 nm以内, 电池性能最好.     

Highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells by TiCl4 surface modification of ZnO nano-flower thin film

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - In dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the semiconductor photo-anode film plays a significant role in enhancing the overall power conversion efficiency....     

Sol–gel processed Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films for a photovoltaic absorber layer without sulfurization

Sol–gel processed Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) thin films were fabricated without sulfurization for application as a photovoltaic absorber layer. The precursor solution was made from CuCl₂, Zn(ac)₂, SnCl₂, thiourea, and 2-methoxyethanol and the spin-coated film was annealed at temperature above 500 °C under a N₂ atmosphere. A homogeneous and compositionally uniform film with single CZTS phase was obtained. Film composition featuring larger grains, which is desirable in photovoltaic cells, was obtained with heat treatment at 540 °C. The grain size was up to 1 μm and the Cu/(Zn + Sn) and Zn/Sn ratios were 0.93 and 1.07, respectively and the band gap energy was 1.56 eV.     

Dye-sensitized solid-state solar cells fabricated by screen-printed TiO_2 thin film with addition of polystyrene balls

The screen-printed nanoporous TiO2 thin film was employed to fabricate dye-sensitized solid-state solar cells using CuI as hole-transport materials. The solar cell based on nanoporous TiO2 thin film with large pores formed by the addition of polystyrene balls with diameter of 200 nm to the TiO2 paste exhibits photovoltaic performance enhancement, which is attributed to the good contact of CuI with surface of dye-sensitized thin film due to easy penetration of CuI in the film with large pores.