Photoelectric conversion element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10930443-B2
Application number	US-201716466916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2017
Priority date	Dec 7, 2016
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

To provide a photoelectric conversion element, including a first substrate, a first transparent electrode disposed on the first substrate, a hole-blocking layer disposed on the first transparent electrode, an electron-transporting layer that is disposed on the hole-blocking layer and includes an electron-transporting semiconductor on a surface of which a photosensitizing compound is adsorbed, a hole-transporting layer that is connected to the electron-transporting layer and includes a hole-transporting material, and a second electrode disposed on the hole-transporting layer, wherein the photoelectric conversion element includes an output extraction terminal part configured to extract electricity out from the photoelectric conversion element, and the output extraction terminal part is formed with a plurality of micropores piercing through the hole-blocking layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photoelectric conversion element, comprising:
a first substrate;
an output extraction terminal part,
a first transparent electrode disposed on the first substrate;
a hole-blocking layer disposed on the first transparent electrode;
an electron-transporting layer that is disposed on the hole-blocking layer and includes an electron-transporting semiconductor on a surface of which a photosensitizing compound is adsorbed;
a hole-transporting layer that is connected to the electron-transporting layer and includes a hole-transporting material; and
a second electrode disposed on the hole-transporting layer,
wherein the output extraction terminal part is configured to extract electricity out from the photoelectric conversion element, and
wherein the output extraction terminal part is formed with a plurality of micropores piercing through the hole-blocking layer.

2. The element of claim 1 , further comprising:
a series cell-connection feature, configured to connect the second electrode to the first transparent electrode, is further formed with a plurality of micropores piercing through the hole-blocking layer.

3. The element of claim 2 , wherein a total resistance value of the output extraction terminal part and the series cell-connection part is smaller than series resistance Rs of the photoelectric conversion element.

4. The element of claim 2 , wherein a ratio between a total area of micropores in the output extraction terminal part and the series cell-connection part and an area of the output extraction terminal part and the series cell-connection part is 16.4% or greater but less than 82.4%.

5. The element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of micropores formed in the hole-blocking layer pierce through the first transparent electrode to reach the first substrate.

6. The element of claim 1 , wherein the first transparent electrode is indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent film.

7. The element of claim 1 , wherein an average thickness of the first transparent element electrode is 10 nm or greater but 1,000 nm or less, and an average thickness of the hole-blocking layer is 5 nm or greater but 1,000 nm or less.

8. The element of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a total opening area of the plurality of micropores to an area of the output extraction terminal part is 5% or greater but 60% or less.

9. The element of claim 8 , wherein openings of the plurality of micropores are circular shapes, a ratio of an average diameter of the circular micropores to an average value, which is an average pitch, of minimum distances between the adjacent circular micropores is 25% or greater but 85% or less, and the average pitch is 20 micrometers or greater but 90 micrometers or less.

10. The element of claim 8 , wherein openings of the plurality of micropores are linear shapes, a ratio of an average width of the linear micropores to an average value, which is an average pitch of minimum distances between the adjacent linear micropores is 15% or greater but 45% or less, and the average pitch is 40 micrometers or greater but 100 micrometers or less.

11. The element of claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion element includes a conductive material film formed on at least part of the output extraction terminal part to embed a conductive material in the plurality of micropores to perform extraction of output electricity.

12. The element of claim 1 , wherein the hole-blocking layer is a metal oxide semiconductor including at least one selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, niobium oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, tungsten oxide, and/or tin oxide.

13. The element of claim 1 , wherein transmittance of a region of the hole-blocking layer where the micropores are not formed and the first transparent electrode to light having a wavelength of 500 nm is 70.0% or greater.

14. The element of claim 1 , wherein the photosensitizing compound comprises a metal complex compound. coumarin compound, polyene compound, indoline compound, thiophene compound, cyanine dye, merocyanine dye, 9-aryl-xanthene compound, triaryl methane compound, phthalocyanine compound, and/or porphyrin compound.

15. The element of claim 1 , wherein the hole-blocking layer comprises tin oxide.

16. The element of claim 1 , wherein the hole-blocking layer comprises titanium oxide.

17. The element of claim 1 , wherein the hole-blocking layer comprises niobium oxide.

18. The element of claim , wherein the hole-blocking layer comprises aluminum oxide.

19. The element of claim 1 , wherein the hole-blocking layer comprises zinc oxide.

20. The element of claim 1 , wherein the hole-blocking layer comprises tungsten oxide.

Assignees

• Matsuyama Tsuyoshi
• Tanaka Yuuji
• Horiuchi Tamotsu
• Ide Takahiro
• Kino Tokushige
• Suzuki Shigeyo
• Kanei Naomichi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuyama Tsuyoshi
• Tanaka Yuuji
• Horiuchi Tamotsu
• Ide Takahiro
• Kino Tokushige
• Suzuki Shigeyo
• Kanei Naomichi

Classifications

• Y02E10/542

  Dye sensitized solar cells · CPC title

• H01G9/20

  Light-sensitive devices · CPC title

• H01G9/2059 Primary

  comprising an organic dye as the active light absorbing material, e.g. adsorbed on an electrode or dissolved in solution · CPC title

• H01G9/2027

  comprising an oxide semiconductor electrode · CPC title

• H01G9/204

  comprising zinc oxides, e.g. ZnO (H01G9/2036 takes precedence) · CPC title