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Raster Scanning Laser and UV Processing of nanocrystalline TiO2 Films for Sintering in Dye Solar Cells: Device Performance, Throughput and Embodied Energy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2012

Girolamo Mincuzzi ,
Valerio Zardetto ,
Luigi Vesce ,
Malte Schulz-Ruhtenberg ,
Arnold Gillner ,
Andrea Reale ,
Aldo Di Carlo  and
Thomas M. Brown
Girolamo Mincuzzi
Affiliation:
CHOSE - Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, Department of Electronic Engineering University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome (Italy)
Valerio Zardetto
Affiliation:
CHOSE - Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, Department of Electronic Engineering University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome (Italy)
Luigi Vesce
Affiliation:
CHOSE - Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, Department of Electronic Engineering University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome (Italy)
Malte Schulz-Ruhtenberg
Affiliation:
Fraunhofer Institut fur Lasertechnik, Steinbachstrasse 15, Aachen, 52074 - Germany
Arnold Gillner
Affiliation:
Fraunhofer Institut fur Lasertechnik, Steinbachstrasse 15, Aachen, 52074 - Germany
Andrea Reale
Affiliation:
CHOSE - Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, Department of Electronic Engineering University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome (Italy)
Aldo Di Carlo
Affiliation:
CHOSE - Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, Department of Electronic Engineering University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome (Italy)
Thomas M. Brown
Affiliation:
CHOSE - Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy, Department of Electronic Engineering University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome (Italy)
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Abstract

A crucial step in Dye Solar Cell (DSC) fabrication is the sintering of the TiO2 layer which needs to guarantee good electromechanical bonding between nanoparticles whilst maintaining sufficiently large porosity to yield performing devices. The standard procedure for TiO2 sintering requires firing in an oven at ∼ 500°C. An alternative procedure consists in utilizing laser scanning processing which has the advantageous potential of being noncontact, local, low cost, rapid, selective, automated and scalable. We analyzed and optimised a laser process for the sintering of the TiO2 layers in dye solar cells analyzing temperature profiles, throughput and the embodied energy. The development of electronic and photovoltaic devices on plastic substrates is of considerable interest due to the advantages they bring in terms of flexibility and easy processing for lightweight, low-cost large-area applications. An alternative sintering procedure compatible with flexible substrates and large area processing consists in utilizing a UV lamp. We subjected TiO2 pastes deposited on conductive transparent substrates to UV irradiation. Fully plastic devices fabricated through this method showed efficiencies of 4%.

Keywords

photovoltaicdevicessintering
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1447: Symposium V – Nanostructured and Advanced Materials for Solar-Cell Manufacturing , 2012 , mrss12-1447-v06-02
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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References

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