Electron and hole transport layers optimization by numerical simulation of a perovskite solar cell

In this paper an n-i-p perovskite solar cell was studied using SCAPS simulator. The primary solar cell’s structure is FTO/ITO/Perovskite/PEDOT:PSS/Au which has achieved a power conversion efficiency of η ∼ 13.94%. In order to enhance its performance, several materials were suggested as electron and hole transport layers (ETL and HTL). Among the proposed ETL materials it was found that Zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) are the most adequate materials. For the HTL materials, among the proposed materials Copper (I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) forms the appropriate one. Also, the solar cell performance was improved by optimizing the absorber thickness which was found to be 1 µm. With these considerations the power conversion efficiency reached 25.02%. In addition, the detrimental effect of defects at the perovskite/TiO2 interface on the solar cell performance is also presented.