Numerical model for the prediction of interfacial effect of ZnO/TCO on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

The dye-sensitized nanocrystalline solar cell (DSC) offers potential opportunities in the area of renewable energy sources mainly due to its simple fabrication procedure and use of low cost materials. A theoretical model based on the thermionic emission theory was developed to determine the interfacial effect of ZnO/TCO on the performance of DSC. It was found that under conditions where thermionic emission is valid, photoelectric outputs are affected by temperature and Schottky barrier height (phi(b)). The model can be used to facilitate better selection of suitable TCO material. (c) 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.JPE.2.027003]