A glass frit-sealed dye solar cell module with integrated series connections

As the dye solar cell (DSC) technology progresses from laboratory-scale to large-area applications, long-term stability is one major obstacle. Especially for large-area DSC modules, stability is often a matter of hermetic sealing both between cells and for the whole module. Here we suggest glass frit as sealing material. Glass frit is thermally, mechanically and chemically very stable and can be applied via screen printing. DSC modules of 30 x 30 cm(2) with a glass frit as primary sealing material have been produced. It was shown that glass frit is applicable for the upscaling of the DSC technology to large areas. The thermal stability of the glass frit sealing and the integrated series connections was verified in a thermal cycling from -40 to 80 degrees C. The colouration process has been scaled up to 30 x 30 cm(2) by pumping the dye solution through the module using only two filling holes. By heating the module to 70 degrees C the filling of the module with electrolytes based on high viscous ionic liquids was demonstrated. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.