Substrate for transparent electrodes

• US 20030170437A1
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Inventors: Tanabe, Nobuo, Kawashima, Takuya, Matsui, Hiroshi, Okada, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,396,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/212
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3452 comprising a fluoride
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2031 comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 H01G9/2036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/82 Transparent electrodes, e.g. indium tin oxide [ITO] electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/10 Substrates, e.g. flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 Dye sensitized solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24364 with transparent or protective coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2438 Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree

Abstract

One object of the present invention is to provide a transparent electrode substrate with an ITO film formed thereon, used for example as the transparent electrode plate in a dye sensitized solar cell, for which the electrical resistance does not increase even when exposed to high temperatures of 300° C. or higher. In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides a substrate for a transparent electrode, wherein two or more layers of different transparent conductive films are formed on a transparent substrate, and an upper layer transparent conductive film has a higher heat resistance than that of a lower layer transparent conductive film.

Claims

1. A substrate for a transparent electrode, wherein two or more layers of different transparent conductive films are formed on a transparent substrate, and an upper layer transparent conductive film has a higher heat resistance than that of a lower layer transparent conductive film.

2. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 1, wherein an increase in electrical resistance of said upper layer transparent conductive film on heating at 300 to 700°

C. is suppressed to an increase of no more than two times, and an increase in electrical resistance of said lower layer transparent conductive film on heating at 300°

C. or higher is 1.5 times or greater.

3. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 1, wherein two or more layers of different transparent conductive films are formed on a transparent substrate, at least one of layers other than an uppermost layer is an indium tin oxide film, and a transparent conductive film for which an increase in electrical resistance on heating at 300 to 700°

C. is suppressed to no more than two times is formed on top of said indium tin oxide film.

4. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 2, wherein two or more layers of different transparent conductive films are formed on a transparent substrate, at least one of layers other than an uppermost layer is an indium tin oxide film, and a transparent conductive film for which an increase in electrical resistance on heating at 300 to 700°

C. is suppressed to no more than two times is formed on top of said indium tin oxide film.

5. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 3, wherein said transparent conductive film laminated on top of said indium tin oxide film is produced by a spray pyrolysis deposition method.

6. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 5, wherein said transparent conductive film laminated on top of said indium tin oxide film is formed consecutively and immediately after formation of said indium tin oxide film.

7. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 3, wherein at least one transparent conductive film other than said indium tin oxide film comprises one or more transparent conductive films selected from a group consisting of fluorine doped tin oxide, antimony doped tin oxide, tin oxide, fluorine doped zinc oxide, aluminum doped zinc oxide, gallium doped zinc oxide, boron doped zinc oxide, and zinc oxide.

8. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 4, wherein at least one transparent conductive film other than said indium tin oxide film comprises one or more transparent conductive films selected from a group consisting of fluorine doped tin oxide, antimony doped tin oxide, tin oxide, fluorine doped zinc oxide, aluminum doped zinc oxide, gallium doped zinc oxide, boron doped zinc oxide, and zinc oxide.

15. A photoelectric conversion element using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 1 as a transparent electrode plate.

16. A photoelectric conversion element using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 2 as a transparent electrode plate.

17. A dye sensitized solar cell using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 1 as a transparent electrode plate.

18. A dye sensitized solar cell using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 2 as a transparent electrode plate.

19. A photoelectric conversion element using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 7 as a transparent electrode plate.

20. A dye sensitized solar cell using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 7 as a transparent electrode plate.

21. A photoelectric conversion element using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 8 as a transparent electrode plate.

22. A dye sensitized solar cell using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 8 as a transparent electrode plate.

9. A substrate for a transparent electrode, wherein an indium tin oxide film is provided on a transparent substrate, a fluorine doped tin oxide film is provided on the indium tin oxide film, and the thickness of the indium tin oxide film is 100-1000 nm.

10. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 9, wherein the thickness of the fluorine doped tin oxide film is 30-350 nm.

11. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 9, wherein the thickness of the fluorine doped tin oxide film is 100-350 nm.

12. A substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 9, wherein the thickness of the fluorine doped tin oxide film is 150-350 nm.

23. A photoelectric conversion element using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 9 as a transparent electrode plate.

24. A dye sensitized solar cell using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 9 as a transparent electrode plate.

25. A photoelectric conversion element using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 10 as a transparent electrode plate.

26. A dye sensitized solar cell using a substrate for a transparent electrode according to claim 10 as a transparent electrode plate.

13. A method of producing a substrate for a transparent electrode, wherein a film formation temperature of an indium tin oxide film is 280°

C. or higher when producing the substrate for a transparent electrode by providing the indium tin oxide film on a transparent substrate by means of a spray pyrolysis deposition method and by providing a fluorine doped tin oxide film on the indium tin oxide film.

14. A method of producing a substrate for a transparent electrode, wherein a film formation temperature of a fluorine doped tin oxide film is 360-440°

C. when producing the substrate for a transparent electrode by providing an indium tin oxide film on a transparent substrate by means of a spray pyrolysis deposition method and by providing the fluorine doped tin oxide film on the indium tin oxide film.