ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on fabricating hybrid type solar cell using nano-materials of Zinc oxide (ZnO) as the electron collective layer. Nanomaterials, vertically aligned ZnO nanorods and ZnO nanoroots were developed through simple, cost-effective and non-vacuum aqueous solution growth and chemical spray pyrolysis techniques. Seed layer is required for the growth of vertically well-aligned ZnO nanorods and was deposited using chemical spray pyrolysis technique. Structural, optical and morphological characterisations revealed the formation of ZnO film with uniform surface when deposited at substrate temperature of 550 °C. Solar cells were fabricated with basic device structures: Indium tin oxide (ITO)/ZnO:A1 (seed layer)/ZnO (nanorods)/Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):[6,6] phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)/silver (Ag), ITO/ZnO (tangled roots)/P3HT:PCBM/Ag. Commonly used nanomaterials as electron transport layer in organic solar cells are ZnO or Titanium dioxide. ZnO itself was chosen as the material to act as seed layer for the growth of ZnO nanorods.
