Chapter 2 - 1998-2011 trends in patents analysis
From a technical perspective, the majority of the DSC patent applications deal with DSC manufacturing methods and semiconductor materials, but also dyes, electrolytes, substrates and DSC modules. The remaining part deals with particular applications and instruments used for the manufacture and control. In particular what is investigated the most is definitely the nature of the semiconductor photoactive layer (also the patents categorized as DSSC manufacturing methods, very often deal with configurations of the photoelectrode) and this is a trend that is in line with the trend in scientific licterature publications. The reasons of the disproportion of such a dominant trend is of course related to the strong influence that the photoelectrodes design has on the efficiency of the cells, which is the main factor leading to possibilities of commercialization.
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
140
2011 ;ĮƌƐƚ ƐĞŵĞƐƚĞƌͿ
107
100
90 78
80
78 65
65 57
80 64
60
54 41
1 12 6 88 3
1 15 16 2 3
67
11 9 8
20 13
Chart 2.4 Trends in patents with reference to the object/field of the inventions (Part II)
23
0
Apparatus pp A li ti Applications
4
8
Manufacturing method Modules Photoelectrode Dyes y Counter electrode Count Electrolyte
14
Manufacturing method Modules Photoelectrode Dyes y Counter C t electrode Electrolyte y Substrates Sealings g Fl ibl D Flexible DSSC Solid-state Apparatus A li ti Applications
1321
Manufacturing method Modules M d l Photoelectrode Dyes y Counter electrode Count Electrolyte y Substrates Sealings g Flexible Fl ibl D DSSC Solid-state Apparatus pp Applications Application
11 2
Manufacturing method Manufac M d l Modules Photoelectrode Dyes y Counter C t electrode Electrolyte y Substrates Sealings g Flexible Fl ibl D DSSC Solid-state Applications
6
0 12 8
Manufacturing method M d l Modules Photoelectrode Dyes y Counter C t electrode Electrolyte y Substrates Sealings Fl ibl D Flexible DSSC Apparatus pp A li ti Applications
13
Manufacturing method Modules Photoelectrode Dyes y Counter C t electrode Electrolyte y S b t t Substrates Sealings g Flexible Fl ibl D DSSC Solid-state Apparatus pp Applications Application
19
Manufacturing method Modules Photoelectrode Dyes y Count Counter electrode Electrolyte y S b t t Substrates Sealings g Flexible D DSSC Apparatus pp Applications Application
40
4 35
29 11 7 5 3 23
120
59