Glass Frit Sealed Dye Solar Modules with Adaptable Screen Printed Design

A cost effective glass soldering technique was developed which has been successfully applied to the dye solar cell (DSC) technology. A complete manufacturing process of DSC modules-ranging from screen-printed layers to semi-automated colouring and electrolyte filling-in a laboratory-scale baseline has been accomplished. The manufacturing process of 30times30 cm
²
modules was partly transferred to large areas of 60times100 cm
²
. Electrolytes based on non-volatile organic ionic liquids have been tested as good candidates for long-term stability and performance. By screen printing a light scattering ZrO
₂
layer over the transparent active area of the module, various different patterns-ranging from logo-type to image-type designs-were realised. Additionally, the lead-free glass frit was coloured by inorganic pigments to adjust the unique esthetical appearance of the module