PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE

• US 20110155224A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Yang, Nam-Choul, Lee, Ji-Won
• Granted Patent: US 8,710,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/252
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2077 Sealing arrangements, e.g. to prevent the leakage of the electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 Dye sensitized solar cells

Abstract

A photoelectric conversion device that includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other and having a space between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first electrode being arranged on the first substrate, a second electrode being arranged on the second substrate, an electrolyte arranged within the space between the first substrate and the second substrate, an electrolyte injecting aperture arranged on the first substrate to inject said electrolyte into said space and a sealing structure to seal the electrolyte injecting aperture, the sealing structure includes a water vapor absorption material to absorb water.

Claims

1. A photoelectric conversion device, comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other and having a space between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a first electrode being arranged on the first substrate;

a second electrode being arranged on the second substrate;

an electrolyte arranged within the space between the first substrate and the second substrate;

an electrolyte injecting aperture arranged on the first substrate to inject said electrolyte into said space; and

a sealing structure to seal the electrolyte injecting aperture, the sealing structure includes a water vapor absorption material to absorb water.

2. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 1, the sealing structure further comprising a filler to fill the electrolyte injecting aperture in a thickness direction of the first substrate.

3. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 2, wherein the filler extends from the electrolyte injecting aperture into the space between the first substrate and the second substrate.

4. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 3, wherein the filler has a rivet shaped cross-section.

5. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 1, wherein the sealing structure further comprises a resin base material to contain the water vapor absorption material.

6. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 5, wherein the water vapor absorption material comprises at least one of a physical adsorption drying agent and a chemical adsorption drying agent.

7. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 5, wherein the resin base material has mobility in a temperature range of 80°

C. to 180°

C.

8. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 1, wherein the sealing structure further comprises first and second fillers that are respectively comprised of different materials, the first and second fillers fill upper and lower portions respectively of the electrolyte injecting aperture in a thickness direction of the first substrate.

9. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 8, wherein the first filler further comprises a resin base material that contains the water vapor absorption material.

10. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 8, wherein the second filler extends from the lower portion of the electrolyte injecting aperture into the space between the first and second substrates.

11. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 10, wherein the second filler has a rivet shaped cross-section.

12. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 1, further comprising a cap member attached to the first substrate and covering an upper portion of the electrolyte injecting aperture.

13. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 1, wherein the sealing structure further comprises a sealing layer arranged on the first substrate and covering an upper portion of the electrolyte injecting aperture.

14. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 13, further comprising:

a cap member; and

a contacting layer arranged between the cap member and the sealing layer to attach the cap member to the sealing layer.

15. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 14, wherein the contacting layer is arranged over a region on the first substrate that covers and surrounds the sealing layer.

16. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 1, the sealing structure further comprising:

a filler to fill the electrolyte injecting aperture in a thickness direction of the first substrate; and

a sealing layer covering an upper portion of the electrolyte injecting aperture.

17. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the filler and the sealing layer comprises the water vapor absorption material.

18. A photoelectric conversion device, comprising:

a light receiving substrate having a photoelectrode arranged thereon;

a counter substrate facing the light receiving substrate, a counter electrode being arranged on the counter substrate;

an electrolyte arranged in a space between the light receiving substrate and the counter substrate;

an electrolyte injecting aperture arranged in a thickness direction of the light receiving substrate to inject said electrolyte; and

a water-absorbing filler arranged within the electrolyte injecting aperture to seal the electrolyte within the space between the light receiving substrate and the counter substrate, wherein the water-absorbing filler includes a water vapor absorption material to absorb water and a resin base material that contains the water vapor absorption material.

19. The photoelectric conversion device of claim 18, wherein the water-absorbing filler extends from the electrolyte injecting aperture into the space between the light receiving substrate and the counter substrate.