Abstract
The heterojunction n-SnO2/Ru-dye/p-CuI prepared by deposition of the ruthernium bipyridyl dye on a meso-porous film of SnO2 followed by deposition of p-CuI was found to be inactive with respect to visible light photoresponse and dark current rectification. However, n-SnO2/Al2O3/Ru-dye/p-CuI where the dye is coated on a thin film on Al2O3 first deposited on SnO2, delivered a short-circuit current density of 1.7 mAcm−2 and an open-circuit voltage of 350 mV, behaving as a dye-sensitized solid-state photovoltaic cell. This result is explained as a transfer of energetic electrons released by excitation of the dye molecules to the conduction band of SnO2 via tunneling across the thin layer of Al2O3. The implications of the result on suppression of recombination in dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells are discussed.
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Tennakone, K., Perera, V.P.S., Kottegoda, I.R.M. et al. Dye-sensitized solid-state photovoltaic cells: Suppression of electron-hole recombination by deposition of the dye on a thin insulating film in contact with a semiconductor. J. Electron. Mater. 30, 992–996 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02657723
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02657723