Improving efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell by micro reflectors

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are 3rd generation solar cells that have a low manufacturing cost that is 1/3 to 1/5 that of a conventional silicon solar cells, and accordingly, DSSC is currently being developed around the globe. In this study, we investigated a reflector that can recover light that is lost in order to improve the conversion efficiency of DSSCs. The angle of the reflector was determined by using an optical analysis program. Micro pyramid patterns at an angle of 112.6° were fabricated using an ultra-precise shaping machine, and these structures maximize conversion efficiency by increasing the light distance. A comparative study was carried with respect to the conversion efficiency. We build a DSSC attached to a reflector with a mirror angle of 112.6° and measured the conversion efficiency of solar cell by using a solar simulator that can irradiate 100 mW/cm2 (1Sum, AM 1.5). The results of the experiment indicate that the DSSC with the micro pyramid mirror exhibits an efficiency that is about 2% better than that of a DSSC with a black plate. The reflected light can cross more of the dye in the TiO2 Layer. Therefore, the voltage at maximum power (VMP) is greater than that of other reflectors with a different mirror angle.