Rapid growth of NiSx by atomic layer infiltration and its application as an efficient counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Nickel sulfide (NiSx) was grown by atomic layer infiltration using bis(dimethylamino-2-methyl-2-butoxo)nickel(II) [Ni(dmamb)(2)] and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as a metal precursor and a sulfur source. The steady-state growth rate of the film was 3.7 angstrom/cycles at 160-190 degrees C which was much faster compared to those by conventional atomic layer deposition method (<0.7 angstrom/cycles). This nickel sulfide thin films were characterized by taking X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and hall measurements. The deposited films on Si wafer was single-phase polycrystalline with multiple domains. The NiSx film grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FPO)-coated glass was applied to a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells, which performed a high catalytic activity for the reduction of I-3(-) to I- and the comparable cell efficiency of 7.12% with cells using conventional Pt-coated FPO counter electrode.