Recent Development of Quantum Dot Deposition in Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells

As new-generation solar cells, quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) have the outstanding advantages of low cost and high theoretical efficiency; thus, such cells receive extensive research attention. Their power conversion efficiency (PCE) has increased from 5% to over 15% in the past decade. However, compared with the theoretical efficiency (44%), the PCE of QDSCs still needs further improvement. The low loading amount of quantum dots (QDs) is a key factor limiting the improvement of cell efficiency. The loading amount of QDs on the surface of the substrate film is important for the performance of QDSCs, which directly affects the light-harvesting ability of the device and interfacial charge recombination. The optimization of QD deposition and the improvement of the loading amount are important driving forces for the rapid development of QDSCs in recent years and a key breakthrough in future development. In this paper, the research progress of QD deposition on the surface of substrate films in QDSCs was reviewed. In addition, the main deposition methods and their advantages and disadvantages were discussed, and future research on the further increase in loading amount was proposed.