100 mm x 100 mm large-sized dye sensitized solar cells

In this study, up sizing technology of dye sensitized solar cells (DSC) was developed. Conversion efficiency of large cells was drastically decreased if it was fabricated by ordinary materials and processes of mini size cells, due to its high internal resistance. We investigated a method to reduce sheet resistant of transparent conductive substrates. It was found that nickel was appropriate for current correcting lines of DSCs because of its lifetime in a redox electrolyte, and low dark current density to the electrolyte. High conductive transparent substrates were fabricated with nickel grids formed by an electroplating process and fluorine doped SnO2/ITO double layered transparent conductive oxides. These substrates achieved low sheet resistance 0.28 Omega/square and 66% light transmittance, and 4.3% conversion efficiency in the total area, 5.1% in the active area was obtained on a 100 mm x 100 mm size large cell. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.