Abstract :
Thin films of cadmium oxide (CdO) were synthesized by layer-by-layer deposition method on indium doped tin oxide
(ITO) substrates. Post-deposition annealing at 250 C for 24 h produced pure phase CdO films by removal of trace amount
of cadmium hydroxide, as confirmed from X-ray diffractogram. First time employment of CdO in place of TiO2 in dyesensitized
solar cells is reported to check feasibility and cell performance. A dye-sensitized nanocrystalline CdO photo-electrode
was obtained by adsorbing cis-dithiocyanato (4,40-dicarboxylic acid-2,20-bipyridide) ruthenium (II) (N3) dye by
keeping at 45 C for 20 h. The efficiency of dye-sensitized nanocrystalline CdO thin film solar cell was increased from
0.24% to 2.95% due to dye adsorption. This must be highest reported conversion efficiency for other metal oxides than
TiO2based dye-sensitized solar cells.
2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
