Sputter deposition and surface treatment of TiO2 films for dye-sensitized solar cells using reactive RF plasma

Sputter deposition followed by surface treatment was studied using reactive RF plasma as a method for preparing titanium oxide (TiO₂) films on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Anatase structure TiO₂ films deposited by reactive RF magnetron sputtering under the conditions of Ar/O₂(5%) mixtures, RF power of 600 W and substrate temperature of 400 °C were surface-treated by inductive coupled plasma (ICP) with Ar/O₂ mixtures at substrate temperature of 400 °C, and thus the films were applied to the DSCs. The TiO₂ films made on these experimental bases exhibited the BET specific surface area of 95 m²/g, the pore volume of 0.3 cm²/g and the TEM particle size of ∼ 25 nm. The DSCs made of this TiO₂ material exhibited an energy conversion efficiency of about 2.25% at 100 mW/cm² light intensity.