A novel and cost effective CZTS hole transport material applied in perovskite solar cells

Patel, Siddhant B.; Patel, Amar H.; Gohel, Jignasa V.

doi:10.1039/c8ce01337c

Cited by 40 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The CPE of the perovskite/CNiTS interface is higher than that of perovskite/CCoTS by 0.5 µF cm −2 , which is due to the higher built-in potential (V bi ). The semicircles in Figure 3a can thus be attributed to Rct at the perovskite/HTM interface and the diameter of the arc gives the value for Rct [23,27], which is 211 Ω cm 2 for CNiTS and 264 Ω cm 2 for CCoTS (see Table 1). The smaller Rct of the CNiTS device implies faster charge transport at the perovskite/HTM interface, which is in agreement with the more pronounced quenching of the PL for CNiTS as compared to CCoTS (see Figure 2a).…”

Section: Figure 1ab Shows the Solar Cell Configuration And Energy Band Diagram Of The Cmts-based Pscsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, quaternary chalcogenide Cu-based materials have attracted interest as HTMs for n-i-p and p-i-n PSCs, with a focus on Zn-based materials (Cu 2 ZnSn(S x ,Se x−1 ) 4 (CZTS)). These materials are low cost, chemically stable, earth-abundant, non-toxic, have a suitable band gap (1.4-1.6 eV) and energy levels, high hole mobility (0.1-35 cm 2 V −1 s −1 ) and high absorption coefficient (approximately 10 4 cm −1 ) [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. In this study, Zn is replaced with the magnetic atoms Ni and Co, which form the quaternary stannite-structured Cu 2 NiSnS 4 (CNiTS) and Cu 2 CoSnS 4 (CCoTS).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stannite Quaternary Cu2M(M = Ni, Co)SnS4 as Low Cost Inorganic Hole Transport Materials in Perovskite Solar Cells

et al. 2020

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In this study, inorganic stannite quaternary Cu2M(M = Ni, Co)SnS4 (CMTS) is explored as a low-cost, earth abundant, environmentally friendly and chemically stable hole transport material (HTM). CMTS nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile and mild solvothermal method and processed into aggregated nanoparticle inks, which were applied in n-i-p perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The results show that Cu2NiSnS4 (CNiTS) is more promising as an HTM than Cu2CoSnS4 (CCoTS), showing efficient charge injection as evidenced by considerable photoluminescence quenching and lower series resistance from Nyquist plots, as well as higher power conversion efficiency (PCE). Moreover, the perovskite layer coated by the CMTS HTM showed superior environmental stability after 200 h light soaking in 50% relative humidity, while organic HTMs suffer from a severe drop in perovskite absorption. Although the obtained PCEs are modest, this study shows that the cost effective and stable inorganic CMTSs are promising HTMs, which can contribute towards PSC commercialization, if the field can further optimize CMTS energy levels through compositional engineering.

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Section: Figure 1ab Shows the Solar Cell Configuration And Energy Band Diagram Of The Cmts-based Pscsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stannite Quaternary Cu2M(M = Ni, Co)SnS4 as Low Cost Inorganic Hole Transport Materials in Perovskite Solar Cells

et al. 2020

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“…A significant area of research has been around identifying alternative hole transport layers (HTLs) to the commonly used organic HTLs that include (2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N-p-dimethoxyphenylamino)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-MeOTAD) and poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA), which yield the highest PCEs. − The need for alternatives stems from their high cost (>$170 g –1 ) and low thermal stability, which raise doubts regarding their lifetime and commercial viability. , Inorganic p-type semiconductors such as copper thiocyanate (CuSCN), copper iodide (CuI), and nickel oxide (NiO) are attractive alternatives because of their relatively low cost (<$10 g –1 ), dopant-free high conductivity, and high chemical and thermal stability. − Among these, CuSCN is the most efficient HTL for use in n-i-p architectures . The wide band gap (>3.5 eV), favorable valence-band alignment to MAPbI 3 (−5.3 eV), and high field-effect hole mobility (∼10 –2 –10 –1 cm 2 /V s) have further made CuSCN an attractive option. , Moreover, its application is limited to not only conventional (n-i-p) and inverted (p-i-n) PSCs, but also organic solar cells, thin-film transistors, and ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors. − To optimize the semiconductor for these various applications, it is essential to understand the intrinsic charge-carrier dynamics of CuSCN.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining Out-of-Plane Hole Mobility in CuSCN via the Time-of-Flight Technique To Elucidate Its Function in Perovskite Solar Cells

Mohan

Ratnasingham

Panidi

et al. 2021

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Copper(I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) is a stable, low-cost, solution-processable p-type inorganic semiconductor used in numerous optoelectronic applications. Here, for the first time, we employ the time-of-flight (ToF) technique to measure the out-of-plane hole mobility of CuSCN films, enabled by the deposition of 4 μm-thick films using aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD). A hole mobility of ∼10–3 cm2/V s was measured with a weak electric field dependence of 0.005 cm/V1/2. Additionally, by measuring several 1.5 μm CuSCN films, we show that the mobility is independent of thickness. To further validate the suitability of our AACVD-prepared 1.5 μm-thick CuSCN film in device applications, we demonstrate its incorporation as a hole transport layer (HTL) in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Our AACVD films result in devices with measured power conversion efficiencies of 10.4%, which compares favorably with devices prepared using spin-coated CuSCN HTLs (12.6%), despite the AACVD HTLs being an order of magnitude thicker than their spin-coated analogues. Improved reproducibility and decreased hysteresis were observed, owing to a combination of excellent film quality, high charge-carrier mobility, and favorable interface energetics. In addition to providing a fundamental insight into charge-carrier mobility in CuSCN, our work highlights the AACVD methodology as a scalable, versatile tool suitable for film deposition for use in optoelectronic devices.

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“…CZTS was also used by Gour et al to develop a self-powered photodetector device [4]. Finally, CZTS has been integrated as an effective inorganic hole transport layer (HTL) for perovskite-based solar cells, and showed a comparable behavior to the standard spiro MeOTAD HTL [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photoconversion Optimization of Pulsed-Laser-Deposited p-CZTS/n-Si-Nanowires Heterojunction-Based Photovoltaic Devices

2020

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We report on the achievement of novel photovoltaic devices based on the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of p-type Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) layers onto n-type silicon nanowires (SiNWs). To optimize the photoconversion efficiency of these p-CZTS/n-SiNWs heterojunction devices, both the thickness of the CZTS films and the length of the SiNWs were independently varied in the (0.3–1.0 µm) and (1–6 µm) ranges, respectively. The kësterite CZTS films were directly deposited onto the SiNWs/Si substrates by means of a one-step PLD approach at a substrate temperature of 300 °C and without resorting to any post-sulfurization process. The systematic assessment of the PV performance of the ITO/p-CZTS/n-SiNWs/Al solar cells, as a function of both SiNWs’ length and CZTS film thickness, has led to the identification of the optimal device characteristics. Indeed, an unprecedented power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as ~5.5%, a VOC of 400 mV, a JSC of 26.3 mA/cm2 and a FF of 51.8% were delivered by the devices formed by SiNWs having a length of 2.2 µm along with a CZTS film thickness of 540 nm. This PCE value is higher than the current record efficiency (of 5.2%) reported for pulsed-laser-deposited-CZTS (PLD-CZTS)-based solar cells with the classical SLG/Mo/CZTS/CdS/ZnO/ITO/Ag/MgF2 device architecture. The relative ease of depositing high-quality CZTS films by means of PLD (without resorting to any post deposition treatment) along with the gain from an extended CZTS/Si interface offered by the silicon nanowires make the approach developed here very promising for further integration of CZTS with the mature silicon nanostructuring technologies to develop novel optoelectronic devices.

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A novel and cost effective CZTS hole transport material applied in perovskite solar cells

Abstract: CZTS nano-particles are synthesized under ambient condition and applied as low-cost and sustainable inorganic HTM in Perovskite solar cells.

Cited by 40 publications

References 42 publications

Stannite Quaternary Cu2M(M = Ni, Co)SnS4 as Low Cost Inorganic Hole Transport Materials in Perovskite Solar Cells

Stannite Quaternary Cu2M(M = Ni, Co)SnS4 as Low Cost Inorganic Hole Transport Materials in Perovskite Solar Cells

Determining Out-of-Plane Hole Mobility in CuSCN via the Time-of-Flight Technique To Elucidate Its Function in Perovskite Solar Cells

Photoconversion Optimization of Pulsed-Laser-Deposited p-CZTS/n-Si-Nanowires Heterojunction-Based Photovoltaic Devices

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