A Barrier Structure for Photoelectrode of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell for Enhancing Efficiency

In this letter, the indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) had been applied to the photoelectrode for reducing dark reaction. According to the experimental results, the IGZO film formed an energy barrier to retard the recombination between photogenerated electron in active layer and hole (I
₃
^-
) in electrolyte. It contributes an enhancement of electron lifetime, decrease in dark reaction, and improvement in the short-circuit current density (J
_SC
). Consequently, the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell is enhanced from 3.34% to 5.47%. This enhancement has the potential to expand an electron device of photocatalyst.