Optimisation of ruthenium dye sensitised solar cells efficiency via Sn diffusion into the TiO2 mesoporous layer

Dye sensitised solar cells (DSCs) typically include a mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) scaffold, sensitised with an adsorbed dye, as the main active element responsible for the photon absorption and charge separation functionalities. The sintering process employed in the TiO2 active layer fabrication plays a crucial role in the formation of the nanoparticle (NP) scaffold and hence in the performance of a dye sensitised solar cell, as it allows the particles to form efficient inter-crystalline electric contacts providing high electron conductivity. Furthermore, the DSC design requires a conductive transparent top electrode which is typically made of fluorinated stannic oxide. Here we report on a highly spatially resolved scanning electron microscopy study in conjunction with focussed ion beam milling and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping of the distribution of all relevant elements within a DSC subsequent to a classical sintering process in the range of 350°C-550°C. Additionally, the article provides quantitative results regarding the found Sn diffusion and its effect on efficiency confirmed via J-V measurements. The effective spatial resolution of the EDX studies was calculated by Monte Carlo simulations of the electron trajectories and X-ray emission region. This permits to construct a model for the migration of Sn from the transparent conductive oxide into the TiO2 scaffold, resulting in alterations in the composition of the complex system which has a direct effect on the DSC performance. J-V measurements conclude that sintering temperature of 500°C is close to the optimum regarding Sn diffusion enhancement of DSCs. Sintering temperatures above 500°C were causing a drop in the DSC efficiency and are therefore not recommended. In order to optimize the DSC efficiency, the results are summarized by a model that explains how the efficiency varies with the Sn diffusion process.