Effective Carbon Composite Electrode for Low‐Cost Perovskite Solar Cell with Inorganic CuIn_0.75Ga_0.25S₂ Hole Transport Material

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells are well known for being low cost, solution‐based, and efficient solar cells; however, the high price of the conventional hole‐collector electrode (Spiro‐OMeTAD/Gold) and the high price and complexity of depositing gold on large scales are major barriers against commercializing them. Herein, an effective carbon composite electrode is introduced for a low‐cost perovskite solar cell with CuIn0.75Ga0.25S2 hole transport material to solve this problem. The carbon electrode is deposited by the doctor blade method using a paste composed of flakes of graphite, carbon black, and a kind of hydrophobic polymer (polystyrene or poly‐methyl methacrylate). It is investigated how the weight ratio of carbon black to graphite and type of binder affect sheet resistance and resistivity of carbon composite layer. The effects of carbon electrode composition on the charge transport resistance at the CuIn0.75Ga0.25S2/perovskite interface are investigated using impedance spectroscopy in different light intensities of white light and light with different wavelengths of 530, 660, and 740 nm. The best efficiency of 15.9% is obtained for the champion cell (fabricated outside the glovebox), which is close to the best efficiency of the reference cell with conventional Spiro‐OMeTAD/Gold hole‐collector that is 16.3%.

A brief review of hole transporting materials commonly used in perovskite solar cells

“…Then in 2020, they reported a similarly structured-devices with carbon composite as electrode and CuIn 0.75 Ga 0.25 S 2 as HTM. The PCE of the devices was 15.9%[108].…”

“…[78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109]. In 2017, Ye and co-workers[104] reported a new p-type conductor Cu (thiourea)I [Cu(Tu)I] in inverted PSCs.…”

Recent Progresses in Carbon Counter Electrode Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules

“…As proven from the EIS results, the NiO was a positive factor to efficiently accelerate the charge extraction which can improve the photovoltaic performance by shifting hole Fermi level down, thereby resulting in a high V OC . Likewise, another composite carbon counter electrode was introduced into CPSCs with CuIn 0.75 Ga 0.25 S 2 (CIGS) as the HTL [47] . The carbon counter electrode comprised graphite, carbon black and a hydrophobic polymer binder, polystyrene (PS) or poly‐methyl methacrylate (PMMA).…”

Polyvinylcarbazole as an Efficient Interfacial Modifier for Low‐Cost Perovskite Solar Cells with CuInS2/Carbon Hole‐Collecting Electrode

“…We have already optimized this composition to use on the PSK layer without corroding or damaging the PSK layer (perovskite solar cell with carbon electrode, CPSC). [ 23 ] This structure is a promising printable low‐cost structure for PSCs but interfacial engineering is needed to minimize different losses at the interfaces, decrease charge‐transfer resistance, maximize the device performance, improve the stability, and meanwhile act as a barrier against diffusing materials of upper layers through PSK holes. According to this purpose, in this article, we focus on interfacial modification (between PSK and CuInS 2 layers) utilizing polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) in comparison with PMMA.…”

“…Most of these procedures also require high temperature for calcination or sintering materials, which is higher than the temperature that PSK materials can tolerate. CuSCN [12,21] and CuIn x Ga (1Àx) (S y ,Se (2Ày) ) [22,23] have already been used as HTM on the PSK layer.…”