Improvement of short-circuit current density in dye-sensitized solar cells using sputtered nanocolumnar TiO ₂ compact layer

The effect of a nanocolumnar TiO2 compact layer in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was examined. Such a compact layer was sputtered on a glass substrate with an indium tin oxide (ITO) film using TiO₂ powder as the raw material, with a thickness of ∼100nm. The compact layer improved the short-circuit current density and the efficiency of conversion of solar energy to electricity by the DSSC by 53.37% and 59.34%, yielding values of 27.33mA/cm² and 9.21%, respectively. The performance was attributed to the effective electron pathways in the TiO₂ compact layer, which reduced the back reaction by preventing direct contact between the redox electrolyte and the conductive substrate.