The properties of P-type copper (I) iodide (CuI) as a hole conductor for solid-state dye sensitized solar cells

Abstract

This research demonstrated the effect of solution concentration of copper (I) iodide (CuI) to the thin films properties and photovoltaic performance. The CuI concentration was varied from 0.01M to 0.09M. The CuI solution was prepared by mixing the CuI powder with 50 ml of acetonitrile as a solvent. A novel method of mist atomization technique has been used for the deposition of CuI materials. For the thin film properties, the surface morphology and electrical properties of CuI thin films which was deposited on the glass substrates were investigated. The result shows the CuI thin film properties strongly depends on its precursor concentration. The nano size CuI particles were observed for all thin films. The electrical properties indicates the increased of conductivity until optimum point of 0.05M. The highest device efficiency obtained in this research is 1.05%. The pore filling issues and electrical conductivity of hole conductor were the main factors contributed to the overall performance of solar cells. © 2013 IEEE.