Sputter deposition and surface treatment of TiO2 films for dye-sensitized solar cells using reactive RF plasma

Sputter deposition followed by surface treatment was studied using reactive RF plasma as a method for preparing titanium oxide (TiO2) films on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Anatase structure TiO2 films deposited by reactive RF magnetron sputtering under the conditions of Ar/O2(5%) mixtures, RF power of 600 W and substrate temperature of 400 deg. C were surface-treated by inductive coupled plasma (ICP) with Ar/O2 mixtures at substrate temperature of 400 deg. C, and thus the films were applied to the DSCs. The TiO2 films made on these experimental bases exhibited the BET specific surface area of 95 m2/g, the pore volume of 0.3 cm2/g and the TEM particle size of ∼ 25 nm. The DSCs made of this TiO2 material exhibited an energy conversion efficiency of about 2.25% at 100 mW/cm2 light intensity