Optimization Parameters and Synthesis of Fluorine Doped Tin Oxide for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

Transparent conductive oxide (TCO) is one of the important components in dye-sensitized solar cells. The main requirements of TCO for dye-sensitized solar cells are having a low electrical resistance and a high light transmittance. This study focuses on the synthesis of fluorine-doped tin oxide including its optimization. The synthesis of fluorine-doped tin oxide has been conducted under spray pyrolysis technique in which a precursor solution of SnCl2:F having concentration of 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 M. The spray pyrolysis was performed using a nebulizer with deposition time of 10 min. The glass substrate was heated at a temperature of 400, 450, and 500°C prior to deposition. The fluorine doped tin oxide was then measured the electrical resistivity for each area of ​​1 cm². Therefore, the mean and distribution of electrical resistivity of fluorine-doped tin oxide with an area of ​​10 x 10 cm then were predicted. In addition, the morphology and transmittance of fluorine-doped tin oxide are also examined. The optimization of the synthesis process of fluorine-doped tin oxide using spray pyrolysis was obtained at a concentration of 0.7 M with a sintering temperature of 400°C. The best fluorine-doped tin oxide has been also fabricated into the dye-sensitized solar cell and the performance has been studied.