Study of Design and Device
Modeling of Double layered Perovskite Solar Cells
Madhu Allalla, Naman Shukla*, Sweta Minj, Sanjay Tiwari
School of
Studies in Electronics and Photonics, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur-492010,
C.G., India
Abstract:
Recently, organic-inorganic perovskite-based solar cells
have become a revolution in photovoltaic field due to their unique
properties. Several studies were focused
on perovskite solar cells based on Pb perovskite layer as lead provides strong
absorption of photons and have high efficiency. However, the factor of
toxicity, stability and ecological challenges of these devices is the main
challenge to the progress in commercial production. In this, study and
numerical modeling of perovskite solar cells using an alternative candidate
which is tin as a perovskite material has been carried out. This later is
investigated in order to overcome the toxicity, stability and ecological
challenges effects on perovskite solar cells, as they exhibit similar
photovoltaic performances as Pb-perovskite solar cells. Therefore, the effect
of single and double absorbent i.e. CH3NH3SnI3 and CH3NH3SnBr3 and no Hole
Transport Layer is studied and investigated to enhance the conversion
efficiency of perovskite devices. The obtained simulation results illustrate
that perovskite solar cells based on no HTL and double absorbent layer exhibit
21.3% of power conversion efficiency compared to that with other HTL materials.
Thus, adding double absorbent layer in perovskite solar cell design possibly
will be considered as novel designing for future Sn-perovskite solar cells. The
numerical simulation was performed using 1DSolar Cell Capacitance Simulator
(1D- SCAPS).
Keywords:
Perovskite
solar cells, power conversion efficiency, double absorbent layer, 1D- SCAPS.
Figure:1. Comparison between lead based and tin based
perovskite
Figure:2. Structure of solar cell
Introduction:
As technology is advancing, the need of renewable sources
of energy resources is increasing at international level, especially with
concerns about the depletion of fossil resources globally. Researchers are
trying to expand their area of research to take advantage of these natural
resource as Renewable energies allow the delivery of permanent resources, and.
Solar energy is One of the most promising renewable energies present (Kabir et
al., 2018; Dickinson et al., 2017; gong et al., 1864). So, significant effort
is required to develop a new solar cell technology with increased power
conversion efficiency (PCE) and reduced processing costs, less harmful to the
environment and ecology. Recently, organic/inorganic halide perovskite solar
cells have given promising results by providing essential advantages like as
high absorption coefficient, long carrier-diffusion length, high carrier
mobility, easy fabrication, and in various areas as well as satisfying above
proprieties (hima et al.,2019). Which make them a very attractive topic for
future solar cell technologies. However, the first perovskite solar cell was
developed by Kojima et al. From the Tokyo-based group of Tsutomu Mi yasaka with
a PCE of 2.2% in 2006 (kemerchou et al.,2019) and in few years they enhance it
to 3.8% (kojima et al.,2009). Hence, in less than one decade, PCE of
perovskite-based solar cell jumped from 2.2% 25.7% in 2021 . The rapid progress
of Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE) from unstable 3.8% to stable 22.7% within
a short span of time, due to the incorporation of hybrid halide perovskite make
them promising candidate for commercialization(feng et al.,2018;Il seok et
al.,2018). Enhancement in the device structure and perovskite material is the
key solution for improvement in the performance of perovskite-based solar cell.
Several studies are focused on use of perovskite material methyl ammonium lead
triiodide (MAPbI3) perovskite based solar cells. Perovskite is based on ABX3
structure, where A represents methyl ammonium (MA, CH3NH3), B is the lead (Pb)
and X represents a halide material anion, iodide (I). in spite the high
performance provided by lead halide perovskite material, the factor of
instability and toxicity and other ecological factor may hamper its commercial production
(oiong et al.,2019; rui et al.,2019). The better way to improve these factors
is by introducing an alternative candidate which is ecological and have better
performance. The Sn -perovskite material may potentially provide analogous
photovoltaic performances similar to Pb-perovskite devices. In this context,
our work presents numerical simulations of lead free methylammonium tin
tri-iodide (MASnI3)-based solar cell using 1D-Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator
(1D-SCAPS) developed at the Department of Electronics and Information Systems
(ELIS), University of Gent, Belgium which is a one dimensional solar cell
simulator based on the drift diffusion physical model (burgelman et al.,2016).
The photovoltaic performances of Sn-perovskite solar cell are compared to that
of Pb-perovskite solar cell and the obtained results are validated by
experimental ones taken from literature showing a good agreement between them.
Therefore, the work is extended to study and investigate the HTL material
effect on Sn-perovskite solar cell design.
Device Structure and Methodology:
The basic perovskite solar cell p-i-n structure is
presented in Figure. 1. It consists of three different layers, a perovskite
absorbing layer (PAL) which is sandwiched between an electron transporting
layer (ETL) and a hole transporting layer (HTL). The PAL represents one of both
perovskite materials, MAPbI3 or MASnI3. Whereas, the CH3NH3SnBr3 is used as
second absorbent layer and TiO2 is inserted as ETL. In perovskite devices, ETL
is connected at metal back contact (Ag) and HTL at the transparent conducting
indium tin oxide (ITO). Note that the structure is illuminated under AM1.5G
solar spectrum with 100 mW/cm2 incident power density. In order to carry out
our simulations, different parameter materials related to each layer and
collected from recent experimental and simulation studies (zhao et
al,.2017;umari et al,.2014; chen et al,.2015; zuo et al,.2015; leguy et
al,.2015; zhu et al.,2016) are summarized in Table 1. The pre-factor values,
Aα, of both ETL and
HTL is set to 105 to achieve the desired curve of absorption coefficient (α)
which calculated using the following expression:
α = Aα (hv. Eg)1/2.
(1)
Besides, optical models used for different PAL materials
are taken from experimental results found in literatures. To investigate and
study the Sn -perovskite solar cells, numerical simulations are performed to
various p-i-n perovskite structures in order to show the influence of each
perovskite material on perovskite solar cell performances. Using the
methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) as perovskite material in p-i-n perovskite
design, simulation results is compared with experimental ones found in literature.
Then, the lead-perovskite layer is changed into tin perovskite material at the
same p-i-n perovskite design showing the effect of Sn-perovskite material on
electrical performance of perovskite solar cell. In addition, the HTL material
effect on Sn-perovskite solar cell performance is studied and investigated in
order to ameliorate the power conversion of solar cell. Moreover, the
appropriate ETL material-based perovskite structure may be considered as novel
designing for future Sn-perovskite solar cells.
Table:
1
Material properties relating different layers of perovskite solar cell
Properties
|
CuSbS2
|
PEDOT: PSS
|
CH3NH3SnI3
(No HTL)
|
Eg (eV)
|
1.58
|
1.6
|
1.3
|
χ (eV)
|
4.2
|
3.4
|
4.17
|
εr
|
8.2
|
3
|
6.5
|
NC (cm-3)
|
2×1018
|
1022
|
1×1018
|
NV (cm-3)
|
1×1019
|
1022
|
1×1019
|
μn (cm2/Vs)
|
49
|
4.5×10-4
|
1.6
|
μh (cm2/Vs)
|
49
|
9.9×10-5
|
1.6
|
ND (cm-3)
|
-----
|
-------
|
------
|
NA (cm-3)
|
1.38×1018
|
1022
|
3.2×1015
|
Defect density
|
1015
|
1015
|
1015
|
Table:
2 Electrical parameters of CH3NH3SnI3 perovskite solar cell
with different HTMs
Different Absorbent
|
Jsc (mA/cm2)
|
Voc (V)
|
FF (%)
|
PCE (%)
|
CH3NH3SnBr3
|
31.26
|
0.88
|
73.89
|
22.38
|
CH3NH3PbI3
|
17.76
|
1.32
|
85.53
|
21.91
|
Result and Discussion:
Numerical modeling was carried out using 1D-SCAPS
software and including various material proprieties given in Table-1. Firstly,
the p-i-n solar cell structure, ITO/CuI /MAPbI3/TiO2/Ag, based on Pb-perovskite
material ITO/CuI/MAPbBr3/TiO2/Ag, and corresponds to layer thicknesses of 30
nm, 400 nm and 30 nm for HTL, PAL and ETL, and double PAL, ETL respectively is
studied and analyzed. Figure. 2 plots the J-V characteristics of both simulated
and experimental Pb-based perovskite solar cell structure measured under
reverse voltage. As can be seen from the Figureure, the obtained simulated
results are very close to experimental ones taken from literature. Therefore,
the extracted photovoltaic parameters of both simulated and experimental
results are presented in Table 2. These results indicate that no big difference
between both simulated and experimental values which validate our model and the
parameters used in the simulation. In second time, using p-i-n solar cell
structure, ITO/MASnI3/MASnBr3/PCBM/Ag, based on Sn-perovskite material and
corresponds to the layer thicknesses of 50 nm, 400 nm and 50 nm for PAL and
ETL, respectively. Figure. 3 displays the variation of J-V characteristic of
the Sn-perovskite solar cell. The photovoltaic parameters Jsc, Voc, FF and PCE
resultant were 31.26 mA/cm2, 0.88 V, 73.89% and 20.38%, respectively. It is
necessary to carry out an optimization process of the perovskite device. This
is can be down by varying the diverse layer thicknesses, absorber, HTL and ETL
layers. In this context, the optimization process consists to fix two-layer
thicknesses and vary the remaining one. Then, in each case we select the layer
thickness that gives the optimal PCE value. Figure. 4 shows the optimized J-V
characteristics of the Sn-based perovskite solar cell. It is evident that the
optimized perovskite device shows a noticeable enhancement in PCE from 20.38%
to 21.93%. Sn-based perovskite device shows analogous photovoltaic performance
comparable to Pb-based perovskite device. Using the same optimization method
mentioned above, our simulation is performed on the power conversion efficiency
as function of absorber layer thickness, temperature, bandgap, electron
affinity of absorbent layer in order to find the optimum values. The optimized
value of absorber layer thickness, temperature, bandgap, electron affinity
gives higher PCE. Evidently, the PCE increases with increasing of absorber
thickness and then decreases after reaching a specified value as shown in Figure.
4. This increasing is due to more photons absorbed by carrier concentration in
this layer creating more electron hole pairs and led to high short-circuit
current density in the device. In addition, PCE is measured for different
temperature and it is noted that with increase in temperature efficiency is
decreases as shown in Figure. 5. Lastly, measurement of PCE for different
bandgap is carried out and it is noted that with increase in bandgap efficiency
is decreases and it works well between 1.5-2.2 eV as shown in Figure. 6.
Table: 3 Electrical
parameters of CH3NH3SnI3 perovskite solar cell with different HTMs
Parameter
|
Values
|
Units
|
Voc
|
0.882285
|
Volt
|
Jsc
|
31.26884812
|
mA/cm2
|
FF
|
73.8941
|
%
|
PCE
|
20.3859
|
%
|
Figure:3. VI graph of MASnBr3 Figure:4. VI graph of different thickness
Figure:5. VI graph of different bandgap Figure:5. VI graph of different temperature
Conclusion:
In
this paper, no HTL and double absorbent layer of Tin-based perovskite solar
cell is studied and investigated using 1D-Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator
(1D-SCAPS). The obtained simulation results of Sn-based perovskite solar cell
demonstrate similar photovoltaic performance compared to Pb-based perovskite
solar cell and there is no big difference between both structures. In addition,
double absorbent layer is used and HTL layer is removed and its different
effects with change of temperature, bandgap, thickness are studied and
discussed. The performance of Sn-based device was effectively improved by
inserting extra absorbent layer. Therefore, the perovskite device with
CH3NH3SnI3 as second absorbent and no HTL exhibits PCE of 21.93% compared to
that with other HTL materials. The obtained results designate that double
absorbent layer can be used for improvement of perovskite devices in near
future for enhanced efficiency and low costing keeping in mind.
Declaration of Competing Interest:
The authors declare
that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships
that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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