Photovoltaic Materials and Devices

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Energies energies	3.0	6.2	2008	17.5 Days	CHF 2600
Nanomaterials nanomaterials	4.4	8.5	2010	13.8 Days	CHF 2900
Photonics photonics	2.1	2.6	2014	14.8 Days	CHF 2400
Solar solar	-	-	2021	27.4 Days	CHF 1000
Sustainability sustainability	3.3	6.8	2009	20 Days	CHF 2400

13 pages, 2684 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Research of Laser Power Converter (LPC) for Passive Optical Fiber Audio Transmission System Terminal

by Yikai Zhou, Chenggang Guan, Hui Lv, Yihao Zhang, Ruling Zhou, Wenxiu Chu, Puchu Lv, Haixin Qin, Shasha Li and Xiaoqiang Li

Photonics 2023, 10(11), 1257; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10111257 - 14 Nov 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1165

Abstract

In environments like coal mines and oil wells, electrical equipment carries the risk of disasters such as underground fires and methane gas explosions. However, communication equipment is essential for work. Our team has developed a long-range (approximately 25 km) audio transmission system that [...] Read more.

In environments like coal mines and oil wells, electrical equipment carries the risk of disasters such as underground fires and methane gas explosions. However, communication equipment is essential for work. Our team has developed a long-range (approximately 25 km) audio transmission system that operates without the need for terminal power sources, thereby eliminating the risk of electrical sparks. This system leverages the reliability of optical fiber and employs a 1550 nm laser for analog audio transmission. After traveling through 25 km of optical fiber, the signal is converted back into electrical energy using a custom-designed Laser Power Converter (LPC). The optical fiber’s carrying capacity imposes limits on the light signal intensity, which, in turn, affects the signal transmission distance. To enable long-distance transmission, we have carefully chosen the optical wavelength with minimal loss. We observed that different LPC structures operating within the same wavelength band have an impact on the audio quality at the terminal. By comparing their characteristics, we have identified the key factors influencing audio output. The optimal LPC allows audio transmission over 25 km, with an output exceeding 12 mVrms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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22 pages, 4819 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantifying Road Transport Resilience to Emergencies: Evidence from China

by Xue Zhang, Yi Lu, Jie Wang, Donghui Yuan and Xianwen Huang

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14956; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014956 - 17 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1180

Abstract

Facing the shock of emergencies, how resilient is the road transport system? In this process, how are the system’s absorption capacity, adaptability, and recovery capacity? These are very important for the development of sustainable road transportation. Taking China’s road transport during the COVID-19 [...] Read more.

Facing the shock of emergencies, how resilient is the road transport system? In this process, how are the system’s absorption capacity, adaptability, and recovery capacity? These are very important for the development of sustainable road transportation. Taking China’s road transport during the COVID-19 pandemic as the research object, this paper introduces an integrated resilience quantification method, draws a road transport resilience curve, and comprehensively and dynamically analyzes and compares the resilience of China’s road transport system at different stages among different regions and under different epidemic waves. The results show that the resilience of road passenger and freight transport differs in the face of external disturbance. Freight transport resilience is better than that of passenger transport. Compared to passenger transport, freight transport is more robust; the impacted speed is slower, the recovery speed is faster, the recovery capacity is stronger, and the affected period is shorter. There is regional heterogeneity in road transport resilience. This heterogeneity is reflected in the whole change process of system performance with external disturbance, including absorption capacity, adaptation capacity, and recovery capacity. The resilience of road transport under different waves of the epidemic is different. Compared to the first wave of the epidemic, the resilience of road transport indicators at all stages has been dramatically improved in the later rebound wave of the epidemic. This can help in the development of evidence-based road transport sustainability strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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30 pages, 4414 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances on Sb₂Se₃ Solar Cells Fabricated by Physical Vapor Deposition Techniques

by Roberto Jakomin, Stefano Rampino, Giulia Spaggiari and Francesco Pattini

Solar 2023, 3(4), 566-595; https://doi.org/10.3390/solar3040031 - 12 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2888

Abstract

Sb₂Se₃, as an earth-abundant and low-toxic material, has emerged as one of the most interesting absorbers for clean renewable power generation technologies. Due to its optical properties, especially bandgap and absorption coefficient, the number of papers on Sb₂ [...] Read more.

Sb₂Se₃, as an earth-abundant and low-toxic material, has emerged as one of the most interesting absorbers for clean renewable power generation technologies. Due to its optical properties, especially bandgap and absorption coefficient, the number of papers on Sb₂Se₃-based solar cells has been constantly increasing in the last ten years, and its power conversion efficiency has raised from 1% in 2014 to 10.57% in 2022. In this review, different Sb₂Se₃ solar cells’ fabrication technologies based on physical vapor deposition are described and correlated to the texture coefficient (ribbon orientation). Moreover, recent research works of the most promising solar cell configurations with different electron-transporting layers and hole-transporting layers are analyzed with a special emphasis on photovoltaic performances. Furthermore, different Sb₂Se₃ doping techniques are discussed. All these aspects are considered as new strategies to overcome the Sb₂Se₃ solar cell’s actual limitations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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28 pages, 2117 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on the Fundamental Properties of Sb₂Se₃-Based Thin Film Solar Cells

by Alessio Bosio, Gianluca Foti, Stefano Pasini and Donato Spoltore

Energies 2023, 16(19), 6862; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16196862 - 28 Sep 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2732

Abstract

There has been a recent surge in interest toward thin film-based solar cells, specifically new absorber materials composed by Earth-abundant and non-toxic elements. Among these materials, antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) is a good candidate due to its peculiar properties, such [...] Read more.

There has been a recent surge in interest toward thin film-based solar cells, specifically new absorber materials composed by Earth-abundant and non-toxic elements. Among these materials, antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) is a good candidate due to its peculiar properties, such as an appropriate bandgap that promises a theoretical maximum power conversion efficiency of 33% and an absorption coefficient of around 10⁵ cm⁻¹, enabling its use as a thin film absorber layer. However, charge carrier transport has been revealed to be problematic due to its cumbersome structure and the lack of a doping strategy. In this work, we aim to provide a clear picture of the state-of-the-art regarding research on Sb₂Se₃-based solar cells and its prospects, from the successful achievements to the challenges that are still to be overcome. We also report on the key parameters of antimony selenide with a close focus on the different characteristics associated with films grown from different techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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13 pages, 3680 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceCommunication

Vertical Multi-Junction Laser Power Converters with 61% Efficiency at 30 W Output Power and with Tolerance to Beam Non-Uniformity, Partial Illumination, and Beam Displacement

by Simon Fafard and Denis Masson

Photonics 2023, 10(8), 940; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10080940 - 17 Aug 2023

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3153

Abstract

Stable and reliable optical power converting devices are obtained using vertical multi-junction laser power converters. They are based on the GaAs and the InP material systems and are used for power-over-fiber or power-beaming applications. This study demonstrates that, in addition to providing the [...] Read more.

Stable and reliable optical power converting devices are obtained using vertical multi-junction laser power converters. They are based on the GaAs and the InP material systems and are used for power-over-fiber or power-beaming applications. This study demonstrates that, in addition to providing the overall best conversion efficiencies with output voltages ideal for various applications, these semiconductor photovoltaic devices are very tolerant to beam non-uniformity, partial illumination, or beam displacement variations. Examples are given with two tight beams, each covering as little as ~7% of the cell area. An optical input power of 10 W was converted with still an efficiency of Eff ~59.4%. For an input power of 20 W, the illuminated area was set to ~22% without significantly affecting the conversion efficiency of Eff ~60%. Remarkably, for a beam diameter at ~65% of the chip length (i.e., covering ~35% of the chip area), a converted power of 29.5 W was obtained using a 12-junction GaAs device with a conversion efficiency of 61%. For a 10 junction InP-based device, an efficiency of Eff = 51.1% was obtained at an output voltage reaching as high as V_oc = 5.954 V for an average optical intensity of 69 W/cm² and an illumination area of ~57%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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14 pages, 6384 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Harmonic Stability Assessment of Commercially Available Single-Phase Photovoltaic Inverters Considering Operating-Point Dependencies

by Elias Kaufhold, Jan Meyer, Johanna Myrzik and Peter Schegner

Solar 2023, 3(3), 473-486; https://doi.org/10.3390/solar3030026 - 16 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1384

Abstract

The growth of renewables in the energy sector, e.g., in public low-voltage networks, leads to an increasing share of installed power electronic devices, e.g., inverters for photovoltaic applications. To rely on these devices, suitable analyses have to be performed. This includes studies of [...] Read more.

The growth of renewables in the energy sector, e.g., in public low-voltage networks, leads to an increasing share of installed power electronic devices, e.g., inverters for photovoltaic applications. To rely on these devices, suitable analyses have to be performed. This includes studies of the device stability in the harmonic frequency range, i.e., above 50 Hz up to 2 kHz. State-of-the-art time-domain studies for harmonic stability analyses require detailed knowledge about the inverter design. Black-box studies must identify the inverter characteristics in the laboratory, which can differ depending on specific operating points, i.e., specific operating powers. This study analyzes the operating-point dependency of inverters on the critical inductance values of the network impedance, e.g., the inductances at which the inverter is expected to become unstable. Measurements are performed for three operating powers of an unknown, commercially available single-phase inverter to validate the critical inductances. Two further commercially available inverters and four simulative implementations are analyzed as well with regard to the critical inductance and the critical frequency. The results demonstrate the importance of considering a representative range of operating powers of the inverter for the small-signal stability analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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15 pages, 709 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of LED-Based Solar Simulators for Cadmium Telluride and Microcrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

by Žygimantas Vosylius, Algirdas Novičkovas and Vincas Tamošiūnas

Energies 2023, 16(15), 5741; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16155741 - 1 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1034

Abstract

Solar simulators are instruments used for controllable measurements of the properties of solar cells in indoor environments. The purpose of this paper is to examine the peculiarities of the photoresponses of CdTe/CdSeTe and microcrystalline Si solar cells and to reveal the pathways to [...] Read more.

Solar simulators are instruments used for controllable measurements of the properties of solar cells in indoor environments. The purpose of this paper is to examine the peculiarities of the photoresponses of CdTe/CdSeTe and microcrystalline Si solar cells and to reveal the pathways to reduction of spectrum mismatch effects when using light-emitting diode (LED)-based or hybrid LED and halogen lamp-based solar simulators of an A+-class spectrum with a small number of sources. While only four different LED types are needed to achieve an A+-class spectrum under updated IEC 60904-9:2020 standard requirements, as demonstrated by our results, additional ultraviolet LEDs are necessary to reduce the spectrum mismatch. For hybrid solar simulator configurations, the combination of cool white LED arrays and halogen emitters can serve as a main light source. Optimized for both solar cell types, hybrid simulators have a lower spectral deviation and better spectrum coverage compared to LED-only simulators with the same number of distinct source types. In addition, our results predict lower spectral mismatch errors for optimized simulators when compared with conventional Xe lamp-based simulators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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30 pages, 8514 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on Buried Interface of Perovskite Solar Cells

by Yu Pu, Haijun Su, Congcong Liu, Min Guo, Lin Liu and Hengzhi Fu

Energies 2023, 16(13), 5015; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16135015 - 28 Jun 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3598

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been developed rapidly in recent years because of their excellent photoelectric performance. However, interfacial non-radiative recombination hinders the improvement of device performance. The buried interface modification strategy can minimize the non-radiation recombination in the interface and can obtain [...] Read more.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been developed rapidly in recent years because of their excellent photoelectric performance. However, interfacial non-radiative recombination hinders the improvement of device performance. The buried interface modification strategy can minimize the non-radiation recombination in the interface and can obtain the high efficiency and stability of PSCs. In this review, we introduce the device structure and the charge carrier dynamics (charge transfer, extraction, and collection) at the interface. We further summarize the main sources of non-radiative recombination at the interface, such as energy alignment mismatch and interface defects, and methods to characterize them. In contrast to the previous review of perovskite solar cells, the important roles of buried interfaces in regulating energy level alignment, passivating surface defects, modulating morphology, and so on are reviewed in detail based on the latest research, and strategies for reducing interfacial nonradiative recombination are provided. In the end, the potential development and challenges of buried interfaces for high-performance and stable PSCs are presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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19 pages, 5864 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling Lattice Matched Dilute Nitride Triple and Quadruple Junction Solar Cells on Virtual SiGe Substrate

by Tugba S. Navruz

Photonics 2023, 10(6), 630; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10060630 - 30 May 2023

Viewed by 1094

Abstract

A lattice matched triple junction solar cell (TJSC) structure with a GaAs_0.58 P_0.42 top cell and bandgap tunable GaN_xAs_1-x-zP_z middle and bottom cells on virtual SiGe substrate is proposed in this study. SiGe/Si substrate is preferred [...] Read more.

A lattice matched triple junction solar cell (TJSC) structure with a GaAs_0.58 P_0.42 top cell and bandgap tunable GaN_xAs_1-x-zP_z middle and bottom cells on virtual SiGe substrate is proposed in this study. SiGe/Si substrate is preferred as it is a low-cost substrate and because it provides a lattice constant at which bandgap tunable dilute nitride materials that are appropriate for highly efficient multijunction solar cells can be obtained. By changing the nitrogen content in GaN_xAs_1-x-zP_z, the bandgap of the middle and bottom subcells is adjusted to the optimum values. The bandgap of the top cell is constant at 1.95 eV. Three models with different values of surface recombination velocities and Shockley–Read–Hall recombination lifetimes are applied to the presented TJSC structure. Peak efficiencies of 48.9%, 40.6% and 33.7% are achieved at E_G2 = 1.45 eV and E_G3 = 1.04 eV for Model 1, E_G2 = 1.45 eV and E_G3 = 1.15 eV for Model 2, and E_G2 = 1.5 eV and E_G3 = 1.17 eV for Model 3, respectively. A fourth bandgap adjustable GaN_xAs_1-x-zP_z junction is inserted into the system and a significant improvement is obtained under high sun concentration for Models 1 and 2. The presented original results are very promising because the variable bandgaps provide very efficient absorption of incoming spectrum. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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14 pages, 4675 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Voltage-Matched 2T Multi-Junction Modules Based on Monte Carlo Ray Tracing

by Roberto Corso, Marco Leonardi, Rachela G. Milazzo, Andrea Scuto, Stefania M. S. Privitera, Marina Foti, Cosimo Gerardi and Salvatore A. Lombardo

Energies 2023, 16(11), 4292; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16114292 - 24 May 2023

Viewed by 1127

Abstract

As Si single-junction technology is approaching its Shockley–Queisser theoretical limit, relevant efforts are being expended towards the development of multi-junction modules. In this work, we employ an optical model based on Monte Carlo ray tracing to compare four different multi-junction modules in a [...] Read more.

As Si single-junction technology is approaching its Shockley–Queisser theoretical limit, relevant efforts are being expended towards the development of multi-junction modules. In this work, we employ an optical model based on Monte Carlo ray tracing to compare four different multi-junction modules in a voltage-matched two-terminal (VM2T) configuration. In particular, we took into consideration the VM2T coupling of crystalline silicon cells with CuInxGa1-xSe2 (CIGS), CdTe, GaAs and perovskite (PVK) solar cells. We optimized the thicknesses of each layer in the top sub-module and determined the performance of VM2T modules in the Shockley–Queisser theoretical limit. We also considered the possibility of using modules in which the top Si surface is flat to determine the performance drop due to the absence of the texturization on the top Si surface. Moreover, we determined the optimal bandgap energy of PVK in a VM2T PVK/Si module as well as the highest efficiency achievable. Lastly, we show that when using state-of-the-art cells, the highest VM2T efficiency achievable for the considered materials is 34.2% under standard test conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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12 pages, 2461 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Thermal Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells by Thermoplastic Additive Engineering

by Zaheen Uddin, Junhui Ran, Elias Stathatos and Bin Yang

Energies 2023, 16(9), 3621; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093621 - 22 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2190

Abstract

The commercialization of perovskite solar cells is hindered by the poor thermal stability of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials. Herein, we demonstrate that crystalline thermoplastic polymer additives, such as a mixture of polyethylene oxide (PEO, 100,000 MW) and polyethylene glycol (PEG, 12,000 MW), can [...] Read more.

The commercialization of perovskite solar cells is hindered by the poor thermal stability of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials. Herein, we demonstrate that crystalline thermoplastic polymer additives, such as a mixture of polyethylene oxide (PEO, 100,000 MW) and polyethylene glycol (PEG, 12,000 MW), can improve the thermal stability of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ (MAPbI₃) perovskites and thereby enhance device stability. High-quality less-defect perovskite films were obtained by establishing a strong reaction between hydroxy groups in the PEO + PEG mixture and the uncoordinated Pb²⁺ in MAPbI₃ perovskites, leading to a high power conversion efficiency of over 18% despite the presence of insulating thermoplastic polymers in the MAPbI₃ film. More importantly, as compared with pristine MAPbI₃ perovskite solar cells, the PEO + PEG-modified counterparts showed significantly improved stability under thermal treatment at 85 °C in ambient air with a relative humidity of 50–60%, remaining at nearly 71% of their initial efficiency values after 120 h. These demonstrations offer a feasible thermoplastic polymer additive engineering strategy to improve the thermal stability of perovskite solar cells. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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23 pages, 6455 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

How to Achieve Efficiencies beyond 22.1% for CdTe-Based Thin-Film Solar Cells

by I. M. Dharmadasa and A. E. Alam

Energies 2022, 15(24), 9510; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249510 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4155

Abstract

This review paper summarises the key issues of CdTe and CdS/CdTe solar cells as observed over the past four decades, and focuses on two growth techniques, electrodeposition (ED) and closed space sublimation (CSS), which have successfully passed through the commercialisation process. Comprehensive experience [...] Read more.

This review paper summarises the key issues of CdTe and CdS/CdTe solar cells as observed over the past four decades, and focuses on two growth techniques, electrodeposition (ED) and closed space sublimation (CSS), which have successfully passed through the commercialisation process. Comprehensive experience in electrical contacts to CdTe, surfaces & interfaces, electroplated CdTe and solar cell development work led to the design and experimentally test grading of band gap multilayer solar cells, which has been applied to the CdS/CdTe structure. This paper presents the consistent and reproducible results learned through electroplated CdTe and devices, and suggestions are made for achieving or surpassing the record efficiency of 22.1% using the CSS material growth technique. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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24 pages, 8163 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Improvement of Graded Bandgap Solar Cell via Optimization of Energy Levels Alignment in Si Quantum Dot, TiO₂ Nanoparticles, and Porous Si

by Mohammad S. Almomani, Naser M. Ahmed, Marzaini Rashid, Khalid Hassan Ibnaouf, Osamah A. Aldaghri, Nawal Madkhali and Humberto Cabrera

Photonics 2022, 9(11), 843; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9110843 - 9 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2213

Abstract

Charge carriers’ generation from zinc includes silicon quantum dots (ZnSiQDs) layer sandwiched in-between porous silicon (PSi) and titania nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs) layer-based solar cell is an efficient way to improve the cell’s performance. In this view, ZnSiQDs layer with various QDs sizes [...] Read more.

Charge carriers’ generation from zinc includes silicon quantum dots (ZnSiQDs) layer sandwiched in-between porous silicon (PSi) and titania nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs) layer-based solar cell is an efficient way to improve the cell’s performance. In this view, ZnSiQDs layer with various QDs sizes have been inserted, separating the PSi and TiO₂NPs layers to achieve some graded bandgap quantum dot solar cells (GBQDSCs). In this process, ZnSiQDs of mean diameter 1.22 nm is first prepared via the top-down method. Next, ZnSiQDs have been re-grown using the bottom-up approach to get various mean diameters of 2.1, 2.7 and 7.4 nm. TiO₂NPs of mean diameter in the range of 3.2 to 33.94 nm have been achieved via thermal annealing. The influence of different ZnSiQDs sizes on the designed GBGQDSCs performance has been determined. The proposed cell attains a short circuit current of 40 mA/cm² and an efficiency of 4.9%. It has been shown that the cell performance enhances by optimizing the energy levels alignment in the PSi, ZnSiQDs, TiO₂NPs layers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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10 pages, 6162 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Perovskite-Surface-Confined Grain Growth for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

by Sajid Sajid, Salem Alzahmi, Imen Ben Salem and Ihab M. Obaidat

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(19), 3352; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12193352 - 26 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2557

Abstract

The conventional post-annealing (CPA) process is frequently employed and regarded a crucial step for high-quality perovskite thin-films. However, most researchers end up with unwanted characteristics because controlling the evaporation rate of perovskite precursor solvents during heat treatment is difficult. Most perovskite thin-films result [...] Read more.

The conventional post-annealing (CPA) process is frequently employed and regarded a crucial step for high-quality perovskite thin-films. However, most researchers end up with unwanted characteristics because controlling the evaporation rate of perovskite precursor solvents during heat treatment is difficult. Most perovskite thin-films result in rough surfaces with pinholes and small grains with multiple boundaries, if the evaporation of precursor solvents is not controlled in a timely manner, which negatively affects the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, we present a surface-confined post-annealing (SCPA) approach for controlling the evaporation of perovskite precursor solvents and promoting crystallinity, homogeneity, and surface morphology of the resulting perovskites. The SCPA method not only modulates the evaporation of residual solvents, resulting in pinhole-free thin-films with large grains and fewer grain boundaries, but it also reduces recombination sites and facilitates the transport of charges in the resulting perovskite thin-films. When the method is changed from CPA to SCPA, the power conversion efficiency of PSC improves from 18.94% to 21.59%. Furthermore, as compared to their CPA-based counterparts, SCPA-based PSCs have less hysteresis and increased long-term stability. The SCPA is a potentially universal method for improving the performance and stability of PSCs by modulating the quality of perovskite thin-films. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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13 pages, 3723 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Guidelines for Fabricating Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells with Cu₂O as the Hole Transport Material

by Sajid Sajid, Salem Alzahmi, Imen Ben Salem and Ihab M. Obaidat

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(19), 3315; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12193315 - 23 Sep 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2914

Abstract

Organic hole transport materials (HTMs) have been frequently used to achieve high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in regular perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, organic HTMs or their ingredients are costly and time-consuming to manufacture. Therefore, one of the hottest research topics in this [...] Read more.

Organic hole transport materials (HTMs) have been frequently used to achieve high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in regular perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, organic HTMs or their ingredients are costly and time-consuming to manufacture. Therefore, one of the hottest research topics in this area has been the quest for an efficient and economical inorganic HTM in PSCs. To promote efficient charge extraction and, hence, improve overall efficiency, it is crucial to look into the desirable properties of inorganic HTMs. In this context, a simulation investigation using a solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS) was carried out on the performance of regular PSCs using inorganic HTMs. Several inorganic HTMs, such as nickel oxide (NiO), cuprous oxide (Cu₂O), copper iodide (CuI), and cuprous thiocyanate (CuSCN), were incorporated in PSCs to explore matching HTMs that could add to the improvement in PCE. The simulation results revealed that Cu₂O stood out as the best alternative, with electron affinity, hole mobility, and acceptor density around 3.2 eV, 60 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹, and 10¹⁸ cm⁻³, respectively. Additionally, the results showed that a back electrode with high work-function was required to establish a reduced barrier Ohmic and Schottky contact, which resulted in efficient charge collection. In the simulation findings, Cu₂O-based PSCs with an efficiency of more than 25% under optimal conditions were identified as the best alternative for other counterparts. This research offers guidelines for constructing highly efficient PSCs with inorganic HTMs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

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