OPTIMIZED NANOSTRUCTURED TITANIA FOR HYBRID ALL-SOLID STATE SOLAR CELLS

M. DOLORES PEREZ; IANINA VIOLI; BORIS BOAGLIO; GALO J. A. A. SOLER-ILLIA; JUAN PLA

Frankfurt

Conferencia; 27th EU PVSEC; 2012

The field of hybrid photovoltaic devices has become increasingly attractive due to the potential advantages of using organic and inorganic semiconductors combined. However, many challenges remain, especially in the development of optimized inorganic materials for optoelectronic applications. In this work, we carefully design an inorganic titania nanoframework with highly accessible mesochannels, ordered pores and crystalline walls onto a transparent conductive oxide (ITO, Indium Tin Oxide). We introduce a thin dense titania layer to modify the ITO surface, followed by the sol-gel deposition of the mesoporous titania that is further exposed to thermal treatment. The inorganic structure is studied by several techniques like electronic microscopy, X-ray diffraction and environmental ellipsometric porosimetry (EEP). An organic material is later impregnated into the nanostructure from its solution. The device is completed with the vapor evaporation of a metal that acts as the back contact. This work constitutes an early approach to the understanding of novel materials for new solar technologies. The focus here is based on the optimization of the inorganic semiconductor but further optimization of the organic material is required for good performance of the solar cells.