Novel fabrication process for flexible dye sensitized solar cell using aluminum doped zinc oxide

This study presents a low temperature process for synthesizing vertically aligned ZnO nanowires on plastic substrates for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. The process includes room temperature sputtering of ZnO seeded layer and the subsequent hydrothermal nanowire growth using a mixture of zinc nitrate and hexamine at 90 degrees C. The structural and compositional properties of the synthesized ZnO nanowires were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersion spectroscopy. It was confirmed that c-axis, single crystalline ZnO nanowires can be produced by using sputter prepared seed layer. Electrical characteristics of the ZnO nanowires were evaluated by integration into a dye sensitized solar cell. From the obtained j-v characteristics, a fully flexible dye sensitized solar cell can be fabricated using the proposed method with good tolerance to mechanical bending. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.