Effect of Growth Temperature on ZnO Nanorod Properties and Dye Sensitized Solar Cell Performance

Abstract

Nanostructure of semiconductor materials zinc oxide (ZnO) is widely used in fabrication of solar cell devices. The performance of such devices is strongly depending on the nanostructures of the thin films used. In this paper reports the effect of growth temperature during synthesis of one-dimensional (1-D) anatase ZnO nanorod arrays through hydrothermal process facing their structure, morphology, and optical properties. The ZnO nanorod was first synthesized use the solution concentration and time fixed at 0.04M and 1 hour. The growth temperature were varied from 70, 80, 90 and 100 ∘ C. The effect of growth temperature on the structural, morphology, and optical absorption of ZnO nanorod were studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The regularity, diameters, heights, and surface densities of the ZnO nanorods were increased with the growth temperature.The optimum results of FESEM characterizations showed that the grown ZnO nanorods have diameters of 64.14 ± 8.3 nm, heights of 363.72 ± 34 nm and surface densities of 182 numbers/ m 2 which was obtained at temperature of 90 ∘ C. The optimum ZnO nanorod film was utilized as photo anode in dye sensitized solar cells. The DSSC yielded Jsc of 0.86 mA/cm 2 , Voc of 0.49 V, and FF of 38 %, resulting in PCE of 0.16 %.