Photoelectrode including zinc oxide hemisphere, method of fabricating the same and dye-sensitized solar cell using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452929-B2
Application number	US-201213484695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2012
Priority date	Jun 1, 2011
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

Provided are a photoelectrode including a zinc oxide hemisphere, a method of fabricating the same, and a dye-sensitized solar cell using the same. The photoelectrode includes a conductive substrate, a zinc oxide hemisphere disposed on the conductive substrate, and a porous metal oxide layer covering the zinc oxide hemisphere. Light scattering effects of photoelectrodes can be increased, and recombination losses of electrons can be minimized to improve photovoltaic properties.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photoelectrode comprising:
a conductive substrate;
a zinc oxide nano structure pattern comprising a plurality of zinc oxide hemispheres disposed on the conductive substrate; and
a porous metal oxide layer covering the zinc oxide nano structure pattern,
wherein each of the plurality of zinc oxide hemispheres of the zinc oxide nano structure pattern includes a plurality of zinc oxide nanorods formed radially from a zinc oxide seed layer,
wherein each of the plurality of zinc oxide nanorods has a single crystalline structure, and
wherein each of the plurality of zinc oxide hemispheres of the zinc oxide nano structure pattern is filled with a zinc oxide material grown laterally from the zinc oxide nanorods to fill each gap between the zinc oxide nanorods.

2. The photoelectrode of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, tungsten oxide, zirconium oxide, strontium oxide, indium oxide, magnesium oxide, and aluminum oxide.

3. A dye-sensitized solar cell comprising:
a photoelectrode of any one of claims 1 and 2 ;
a photosensitive dye adsorbed on the photoelectrode;
a catalytic electrode disposed opposite the photoelectrode; and
an electrolyte interposed between the photoelectrode and the catalytic electrode.

4. The dye-sensitized solar cell of claim 3 , wherein the catalytic electrode is formed by coating a transparent conductive substrate with a catalytic precursor solution containing metal salts and a cellulose-based polymer and thermally decomposing the cellulose-based polymer.

Assignees

• Kim Ki Seok
• Nam Sang Hoon
• Jeong Hui Su
• Song Hui
• Kim Sang-Mook
• Kim Won Bae
• Jung Gun Young
• Gwangju Inst Science & Tech

Inventors

• Kim Ki Seok
• Nam Sang Hoon
• Jeong Hui Su
• Song Hui
• Kim Sang-Mook
• Kim Won Bae
• Jung Gun Young

Classifications

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title

• H10F77/20

  Electrodes · CPC title

• H10F10/00 Primary

  Individual photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar cells (electrolytic light-sensitive devices, e.g. dye-sensitised solar cells, H01G9/20) · CPC title

• H01G9/2036 Primary

  comprising mixed oxides, e.g. ZnO covered TiO2 particles · CPC title

• B82Y30/00 Primary

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title