title: Controlled seeding of laser deposited Ta:TiO2 nanobrushes and their performance as photoanode for dye sensitized solar cells.
abstract: Hexagonal patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) with a height of 1.5 μm was fabricated on fluorinated SnO2 (FTO) substrate via nanoimprint lithography and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Tantalum doped TiO2 was deposited on the patterned substrate by PLD. The film of Ta:TiO2 grew vertically and separately on the patterned ITO and formed a brush-like structure. Dye-sensitized solar cells with the Ta:TiO2 film deposited on the patterned substrate as well as flat FTO substrate for comparison were fabricated and tested. The device with the patterned substrate showed a 25% increase in short circuit current (Jsc) compared to the one with flat FTO substrate. Optical and photoelectrochemical characterization techniques were performed to investigate the improvement. The increase of Jsc was attributed to the enhancements of light absorption in the 600-750 nm range and collection of excited electrons by the brush-like structure and the patterned ITO, respectively.
authors: Department of Physics and Astronomy and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States.
authors: Yukihiro
authors: Y
authors: Hara
authors: Timothy
authors: T
authors: Garvey
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Alibabaei
authors: Rudresh
authors: R
authors: Ghosh
authors: Rene
authors: R
authors: Lopez
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004566:Electrodes; D005461:Fluorine / Q000737:chemistry; D007834:Lasers; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D012993:Solar Energy; D017971:Tin Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D017971:Tin Compounds; C009495:titanium dioxide; D005461:Fluorine; C109984:indium tin oxide; D014025:Titanium; C045358:stannic oxide