Increased nanopore filling: Effect on monolithic all-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

A vacuum pore-filling method is described to fabricate solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on nanocomposite polymer electrolytes. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry analyses suggest that incomplete pore filling of the nanostructured TiO2 electrodes is a major efficiency-limiting factor in the fabrication process of solid-state DSSC. Application of the vacuum method resulted in DSSC with much improved energy conversion efficiencies when compared to devices made via conventional drop-casting technique. The energy conversion efficiency gain increased steadily with increasing TiO2 film thicknesses. It is expected that the vacuum pore-filling technique will be applicable to a wide range of hole-transport materials