Thin Film Solar Cell
Thin film absorbers of a few microns in thickness offer an advantage in cost as the material needs are greatly reduced. Our group is interested in developing new processes to deposit these materials economically over wide areas using near atmospheric processes. The research explores the interface between materials synthesis/deposition and post-processing and has included chalcogenide and dye sensitized devices.
Water based ink demonstrated in a Dye Sensitized Solar Cell device.
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) and derivatives utilize a thin layer of titanium dioxide as a photoanode. The current state of the art deposition of the titanium dioxide for the photoanode of a DSSC utilizes a paste synthesized from a relatively extensive process. We have developed a very simple ink which includes a industrially available titanium dioxide powder and a low cost inorganic-organic binder dispersed in water. The resulting ink can be deposited using traditional printing techniques and we have produced a DSSC with an efficiency of 9.2%. Further optimization of the ink could conceivably result in even higher efficiencies. This ink also has applications in other solar cell designs as well as self cleaning and optical coatings.