• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.475-481
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• 2023

Recently, the electron transport layer (ETL) has become one of the key components for high-performance perovskite solar cell (PSC). This study is motivated by the nonreproducible performance of ETL made of spin coated SnO₂ applied to a PSC. We made a comparative study between tin oxide deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or spin coating to be used as an ETL in N-I-P PSC. 15 nm-thick Tin oxide thin films were deposited by ALD using tetrakisdimethylanmiotin (TDMASn) and using reactant ozone at 120 ℃. PSC using ALD SnO₂ as ETL showed a maximum efficiency of 18.97 %, and PSC using spin coated SnO₂ showed a maximum efficiency of 18.46 %. This is because the short circuit current (Jsc) of PSC using the ALD SnO₂ layer was 0.75 mA/cm² higher than that of the spin coated SnO₂. This result can be attributed to the fact that the electron transfer distance from the perovskite is constant due to the thickness uniformity of ALD SnO₂. Therefore ALD SnO₂ is a candidate as a ETL for use in PSC vacuum deposition.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.235-240
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• 2018

We propose a speedy two-step deposit process to form an Au electrode on hole transport layer(HTL) without any damage using a general thermal evaporator in a perovskite solar cell(PSC). An Au electrode with a thickness of 70 nm was prepared with one-step and two-step processes using a general thermal evaporator with a 30 cm source-substrate distance and $6.0{\times}10^{-6}$ torr vacuum. The one-step process deposits the Au film with the desirable thickness through a source power of 60 and 100 W at a time. The two-step process deposits a 7 nm-thick buffer layer with source power of 60, 70, and 80 W, and then deposits the remaining film thickness at higher source power of 80, 90, and 100 W. The photovoltaic properties and microstructure of these PSC devices with a glass/FTO/$TiO_2$/perovskite/HTL/Au electrode were measured by a solar simulator and field emission scanning electron microscope. The one-step process showed a low depo-temperature of $88.5^{\circ}C$ with a long deposition time of 90 minutes at 60 W. It showed a high depo-temperature of $135.4^{\circ}C$ with a short deposition time of 8 minutes at 100 W. All the samples showed an ECE lower than 2.8 % due to damage on the HTL. The two-step process offered an ECE higher than 6.25 % without HTL damage through a deposition temperature lower than $88^{\circ}C$ and a short deposition time within 20 minutes in general. Therefore, the proposed two-step process is favorable to produce an Au electrode layer for the PSC device with a general thermal evaporator.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.23-30
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• 2021

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are currently attracting attention as a promising source of photovoltaic power generation for their rapid increase in efficiency within a short research period. However, the 2-step deposition method, which has been considered as a proper film fabrication route in commercialization point of view of PSC, requires a complicated control of environment to achieve high efficiency because each step of the process are affected by humidity in different manner. It is clearly a large hurdle for this technic to be transferred to industrialization. In this study, we developed a simple surface treatment by which high quality perovskite films can be fabricated through 2-step deposition method in a relatively wide humidity range without complicated humidity control at each step.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.26-32
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• 2021

The photovoltaic properties and microstructure changes were observed while perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a fabricated carbon electrode were formed using the following annealing processes: hot-plate, oven, and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Perovskite solar cells with a glass/FTO/compact TiO2/meso TiO2/meso ZrO2/carbon structure were prepared. The photovoltaic properties and microstructure changes in the PSCs were analyzed using a solar simulator, optical microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. An analysis of the photovoltaic properties revealed outstanding properties when RTA was applied to the cells. Microstructure analysis showed that perovskite was formed locally on the carbon electrode surface when hot-plate and oven annealing were applied. On the other hand, PSC with RTA showed a flat surface without extra perovskite agglomeration. Denser perovskite formed on the porous carbon electrode layer with RTA showed superior photovoltaic properties. These results suggest that the RTA process might be appropriate for the massive production of carbon electrode PSCs considering the processing time.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2020

Development of efficient methods for clean energy production became a critical issue to improve the quality of human lives. Solar cells is considered as one of the alternative solutions to resolve the issue. Although Si-based solar cells are only popularly utilized for practical applications, high manufacturing cost is considered as a serious drawback for further versatile applications. Thus, different types of are being investigated aiming to replace the Si-based solar cells. Recently, perovskite solar cells (PSC) are considered as a potential replacement for Si-based solar cells due to their low production cost, high power conversion efficiency, light weight and possibility of flexible device fabrication. Thus, we have reviewed the challenges of PSC faced with practical application, particularly on stability.

• Electronic Materials Letters
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.712-717
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• 2018

In this letter, we have introduced copper chloride ($CuCl_2$) as an additive in the $CH_3NH_3PbI_3$ precursor solution to improve the surface morphology and crystallinity of $CH_3NH_3PbI_3$ films in a single solvent system. Our optimized perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with 2.5 mol% $CuCl_2$ additive showed best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.22%. The PCE of the PSCs fabricated by $CuCl_2$ (2.5 mol%) additive engineering was 56% higher than the PSC fabricated with pristine $CH_3NH_3PbI_3$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.282-287
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• 2019

The photovoltaic properties of $TiO_2$ used for the electron transport layer in perovskite solar cells(PSCs) are compared according to the particle size. The PSCs are fabricated and prepared by employing 20 nm and 30 nm $TiO_2$ as well as a 1:1 mixture of these particles. To analyze the microstructure and pores of each $TiO_2$ layer, a field emission scanning electron microscope and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) method are used. The absorbance and photovoltaic characteristic of the PSC device are examined over time using ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectroscopy and a solar simulator. The microstructural analysis shows that the $TiO_2$ shape and layer thicknesses are all similar, and the BET analysis results demonstrate that the size of $TiO_2$ and in surface pore size is very small. The results of the photovoltaic characterization show that the mean absorbance is similar, in a range of about 400-800 nm. However, the device employing 30 nm $TiO_2$ demonstrates the highest energy conversion efficiency(ECE) of 15.07 %. Furthermore, it is determined that all the ECEs decrease over time for the devices employing the respective types of $TiO_2$. Such differences in ECE based on particle size are due to differences in fill factor, which changes because of changes in interfacial resistance during electron movement owing to differences in the $TiO_2$ particle size, which is explained by a one-dimensional model of the electron path through various $TiO_2$ particles.