Numerical Investigation Energy Conversion Performance of Tin-Based Perovskite Solar Cells Using Cell Capacitance Simulator

The power conversion efficiency of lead halide perovskite solar cells has been elevated to 25.2%. However, the toxicity of lead and the complex fabrication process of those cells considerably hinder the commercial application of such solar cells. Therefore, lead-free solar cells with comparable power conversion efficiency with a much lower environmental impact have recently attracted enormous attention in both academia and industry. This paper presents a theoretical study to assess the energy conversion capacity of lead-free perovskite solar cells with MASnI3 perovskite as its absorber layer using solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS). In particular, the effects of materials of the perovskite solar cells’ electron transport layers (ETLs) and hole transport layers (HTLs) on their energy conversion performance are elaborated. Our results show that Cd0.5Zn0.5S and MASnBr3 are the most suitable materials for ETL and HTL, respectively. It is also found from that the solar cell performance can be further enhanced through optimizing the thickness and defect density of its absorber layer. Moreover, the effects of defect densities in interface layers are investigated. In addition, the effects of ETL and HTL doping densities as well as influences of the back-contact work function and operating temperature of the tin-based perovskite solar cells are discussed. Finally, a glass substrate/FTO/Cd0.5Zn0.5S (ETL)/MASnI3/MASnBr3 (HTL)/back-contact solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 23.86% is recommended for further optimization.