Patent ID: 8192509

Claim:
An apparatus for producing a dye-sensitized solar cell, which includes a transparent electrode, an opposite electrode opposite the transparent electrode, and an electrolyte layer between the two electrodes, by performing a method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a pre-transparent electrode by coating oxide nanoparticles on a transparent conductive substrate and sintering the resulting transparent conductive substrate; (b) providing an opposite electrode by coating a transparent conductive substrate with platinum or carbon; (c) laminating the pre-transparent electrode and the opposite electrode such that the two electrodes are spaced apart by a predetermined interval from each other and the coated oxide nanoparticles and the coated platinum or carbon are positioned between the two electrodes, and then bonding the two electrodes at one or more predetermined portions such that the space between the two electrodes is in fluid communication with the outside; (d) supplying photosensitive dye molecules to the space between the two electrodes such that the photosensitive dye molecules are adsorbed onto the oxide nanoparticles; (e) supplying an electrolyte into the space between the two electrodes; and (f) hermetically sealing the electrodes, wherein the apparatus comprises: a container having outer walls on which at least one first opening and at least one second opening are formed and accommodating therein a liquid at a first position or positions therein and a pre-cell panel unit at a second position or positions therein, wherein the pre-cell panel unit comprises a front jig and a rear jig, and a pair of bonded electrodes between the front jig and the rear jig, the front jig has an opening formed at an upper portion thereof, and the rear jig is not formed with such an opening; and a circulation unit connected to opening of the front jig of the pre-cell panel unit through the first opening or openings of the container and to the liquid accommodated in the container through the second opening or openings of the container for circulating the liquid accommodated in the container to and from the pre-cell panel unit, wherein the pair of bonded electrodes has a space between the electrodes, and wherein the pair of bonded electrodes has at least one opening at one distal end thereof and has at least one opening at the other distal end thereof.