Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-8mjnm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-19T05:13:39.757Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Use of Near Infra Red as a Rapid Heat Treatment Process in the Manufacture of Metal-based Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Trystan Watson
Affiliation:
t.m.watson@swansea.ac.uk
Ian Mabbett
Affiliation:
228782@swansea.ac.uk, Swansea University, Materials Research Centre, Swansea, United Kingdom
David Worsley
Affiliation:
d.a.worsley@swansea.ac.uk, Swansea University, Materials Research Centre, Swansea, United Kingdom
Get access

Abstract

A near infrared heating method is presented which directly heats metal substrates to very high temperatures within seconds. The technique is used to heat 1mm thick titanium and stainless steel metal coupons onto which 1 cm2 commercial TiO2 pastes have been deposited within 12-25 seconds giving assembled dye sensitized solar cell efficiencies which are equivalent to cells prepared using a convection oven for 1800 seconds. The near infrared method is applicable to different paste thicknesses and paste types as well as different metal substrates. Near infrared sintering for the shortest times 12.5 seconds yielded cells with the highest efficiency compared to convection oven prepared samples. This ultrafast heating seems to drive off binder very effectively and lead to rapid sintering. Ultrafast sintering allows peak metal temperatures of 500-800 °C to be achieved without the massive losses in cell efficiency observed with the conventional heat treatment at temperatures over 600 ◦C.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 O'Regan, B. and Gratzel, M. A Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Solar-Cell Based on Dye-Sensitized Colloidal TiO2 Films, Nature. 353 (1991) 737740.Google Scholar
2 Nazeeruddin, M. K. Kay, A. Rodicio, I. Humphrybaker, R. Muller, E. Liska, P. Vlachopoulos, N. and Gratzel, M. Conversion of Light to Electricity by Cis-X2 bis(2,2'-Bipyridyl-4,4'-Dicarboxylate)Ruthenium(Ii) Charge-Transfer Sensitizers (X = Cl, Br, I, CN, and SCN-) on Nanocrystalline TiO2 Electrodes, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115 (1993) 63826390.Google Scholar
3 Barbe, C. J. Arendse, F. Comte, P. Jirousek, M. Lenzmann, F. Shklover, V. and Gratzel, M., Nanocrystalline titanium oxide electrodes for photovoltaic applications, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 80 (1997) 31573171.Google Scholar
4 Lindstrom, H. Magnusson, E. Holmberg, A. Sodergren, S. Lindquist, S. E. and Hagfeldt, A., A new method for manufacturing nanostructured electrodes on glass substrates, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells. 73 (2002) 91101.Google Scholar
5 Uchida, S. Tomiha, M. Masaki, N. Miyazawa, A. and Takizawa, H. Preparation of TiO2 nanocrystalline electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells by 28 GHz microwave irradiation, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells. 81 (2004) 135139.Google Scholar
6 Kim, H. Auyeung, R. C. Y. Ollinger, M. Kushto, G. P. Kafafi, Z. H. and Pique, A. Lasersintered mesoporous TiO2 electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells, Appl. Phys. A-Mater. Sci. Process. 83 (2006) 7376.Google Scholar
7 Fang, X. M. Ma, T. L. Akiyama, M. Guan, G. Q. Tsunematsu, S. and Abe, E. Flexible counter electrodes based on metal sheet and polymer film for dye-sensitized solar cells, Thin Solid Films. 472 (2005) 242245.Google Scholar
8 Ito, S. Ha, N. L. C. Rothenberger, G. Liska, P. Comte, P. Zakeeruddin, S. M. Pechy, P. Nazeeruddin, M. K. and Gratzel, M. High-efficiency (7.2%) flexible dye-sensitized solar cells with Ti-metal substrate for nanocrystalline-TiO2 photoanode, Chem. Commun. (2006) 40044006.Google Scholar
9 Kang, M. G. Park, N. G. Ryu, K. S. Chang, S. H. and Kim, K. J. Flexible metallic substrates for TiO2 film of dye-sensitized solar cells, Chem. Lett. 34 (2005) 804805.Google Scholar