Vacuum‐Evaporated ZnO Photoanode, Applied in Quantum Dot‐Sensitized Solar Cells (CdS‐CdSe)

Abstract

In this research, the application of vacuum‐evaporated nanostructured ZnO thin films as a photoanode and its use in quantum dot‐sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) is reported. Quantum dots (CdS/CdSe) are deposited through successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. Thirty nanometers average size ZnO nanoparticles synthesized from solution are used as a source, resultant thickness starts from 200 nm to 3 microns. Average size and crystal phase identification are done by XRD. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV‐Vis, profilometer, and J–V are used to determine morphology, elemental composition, transmittance, band gap, thickness, and efficiency of the solar cell, respectively. Characterization of efficiency is carried out on different film thicknesses. A total efficiency of 1.25% is obtained for a specific film thickness under 1.5 AM.