Performance characterization of the dye-sensitized solar cells

Features of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC), such as slow temporal response and possible nonlinearity, require special attention for characterizing their I-V curves and other performance. In this study, the features of the DSC are investigated, in order to define their performance characterization method. The I-V curves of the DSC were clearly dependent on the voltage sweep direction, even when the sweep time is the order of seconds. The slow response of the DSC sometimes also resulted in apparent reduction in the measured quantum efficiency, especially at >400 nm. The quantum efficiency at <500 nm reduced by the application of the white bias light. Investigation on the I-V curves at irradiance levels from 0 mW/cm² (dark) to 100 mW/cm² has revealed that the irradiance dependence of the I-V curve is described by the sum of the dark current and the voltage-dependent photocurrent which is proportional to the irradiance.