Characterization of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell with ZnO Nanorod Multilayer Electrode

10.6451/JETE.200812.0545

Shih-Fong Lee；Yung-Ping Chang；Li-Ying Lee；Jung-Fu Hsu

-Zinc oxide ZnO nanorods ； Dye-sensitized solar cell DSSC

工程科技與教育學刊

5卷4期（2008 / 12 / 01）

545 - 552

英文

In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were synthesized on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass substrates by a hydrothermal process. The growth process was carried out one to five times to obtain ZnO nanorods of different generations (1st to 5th generation). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to obtain the surface morphology, chemical composition, and crystallographic structure of the synthesized ZnO nanorods. These ZnO nanorods were submerged in the dye solution and ware used as the working electrode (anode) of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). I-V and optoelectronic characteristics of the DSSCs using ZnO nanorods of different generations as the electrodes were measured to obtain their fill factors and conversion efficiency. Experimental results reveal that the ZnO film of the 4th generation exhibits a uniform distribution of dense nanorods whose shape and microstructure are beneficial to dye adsorption and carrier transport. Therefore, the DSSC fabricated with the ZnO nanorods of the 4th generation has an improved short-circuit current, fill factor, and conversion efficiency.