Optimization of titanium dioxide film prepared by electrophoretic deposition for dye-sensitized solar cell application

Nanocrystalline TiO₂ films were deposited on a conducting glass substrate by the electrophoretic deposition technique. It was found that the thickness of TiO₂ film increased proportionally with an increase in deposition time and deposition voltage. However, as the deposition duration or deposition voltage increased, the film surface was more discontinuous, and microcracks became more evident. The characteristic of the dye-sensitized solar cell using TiO₂ film as a working electrode was analyzed. The results of the energy conversion efficiency and the photocurrent density exhibited a relationship dependent on the TiO₂ thickness. Curve fitting of energy conversion efficiency vs. TiO₂ thickness revealed the optimum solar cell efficiency ~ 2.8% at the film thickness of ~ 14 μm.