Dye sensitized solar cell and method for manufacture
A method for producing a Dye-Sensitized Solar cell (DSC) comprising a substrate, a working electrode, a back contact for extracting photo-generated electrons, an electrolyte, and a counter electrode where the back contact and/or the counter electrode is formed by a porous conductive powder layer, PCPL. The PCPL is prepared by the following steps: a. powder preparation; b. powder ink preparation; c. powder ink deposition; d. powder layer heating; e. powder layer compaction; and f. powder layer after treatment.
1. A method for producing a Dye-Sensitized Solar cell (DSC) comprising a substrate, a working electrode, a back contact for extracting photo-generated electrons, an electrolyte, and a counter electrode wherein the back contact and/or the counter electrode 5 is formed by a porous conductive powder layer, PCPL; wherein preparation of the PCPL comprises the following steps:
a. powder preparation;
b. powder ink preparation;
c. powder ink deposition; wherein step c comprises compacting the powder by compaction tools with micro-structured surfaces in order to transfer the surface microstructure surface to the powder layer during compaction;
d. powder layer heating;
e. powder layer compaction; wherein step e is performed by compacting the powder layer to a porosity of 5% to 85%, or 40% to 70%, or 50% to 60%; and
f. powder layer after treatment.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein step c is performed by printing.
3. A method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein step c is performed by screen printing.
4. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein step f comprises a heat treatment.
5. A method in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the heat treatment is where a sintering effect between the powder particles occur.
6. A method in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the heat treatment is rapid annealing treatment.
7. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the conductive powder is a powder of a metal.
8. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein step f comprises a heat treatment.
9. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein step f comprises a heat treatment.
10. A method in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the heat treatment is flash heating.
11. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the conductive powder is a powder of at least one metal selected form the group consisting of titanium, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, niobium, zirconium and their alloys.
12. A Dye-Sensitized Solar cell (DSC) comprising a substrate, a working electrode, an electrolyte, a back contact for extracting photo-generated electrons, and a counter electrode for transferring electrons to the electrolyte, wherein the back contact and/or the counter electrode comprise a porous conductive powder layer (PCPL) s wherein the PCPL of the counter electrode comprises catalytic amounts of platinum.
13. A DSC in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the substrate comprise a TCO-less glass or TCO-covered glass, plastics, a porous substrate, glass microfiber-based substrates, or ceramic microfiber-based substrates.
14. A DSC in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the plastics comprise PET or PEN and the porous substrate is a cellulose-based substrate.
15. A DSC, comprising a substrate, a working electrode, an electrolyte, a back contact for extracting photo-generated electrons, and a counter electrode for transferring electrons to the electrolyte, wherein the back contact and/or the counter electrode comprise a porous conductive powder layer (PCPL), wherein the substrate comprise a porous substrate which is in contact with the PCPL on one side and the PCPL, the working electrode, or the separator, on the other side.