Performance optimization of solid state dye sensitised solar cells (ssDSsCs) using two different electron transport layers (ETLs), using SCAPS-1D simulation software

Abstract In this work, a comparative analysis was carried out by using titanium dioxide (TiO2) and tungsten disulfide (WS2) as an electron transport layer (ETL). This numerical analysis was conducted using SCAPS-1D software, which stands for Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator-1 Dimensional. The two device structures were: FTO/TiO2/N719/ MoO3 and FTO/WS2/N719/MoO3. For TiO2 ETL-based devices, the PCE was 11.42 %, with Jsc, Voc, and FF values of 18.50 mA/cm², 0.872 V, and 70.75 %, respectively. By contrast, WS2-based devices achieved a PCE of 14.23 % with Jsc, Voc, and FF values of 20.86 mA/cm², 0.880 V, and 77.43 %, respectively. Based on the above-mentioned data, WS2 has better PV performance of the solar cell. WS2 exhibits high electron mobility, chemically stable, tunable bandgap, therefore a promising candidate to replace TiO2 as an ETL in future designs.