Design of an innovative high-performance lead-free and eco-friendly perovskite solar cell

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with high efficiency and low cost are being actively developed. In recent years, the role of lead-based PSCs has become very important in the solar cell industry. But its toxicity and instability present a significant challenge to the development of commercially viable products. Under such circumstances, Ti-based all-inorganic (PSC) materials are of paramount importance in the development of high-performance PSCs. This work examines the theoretical feasibility of a lead-free, environmentally friendly, and reliable Cs₂TiBr₆-based PSC. The analysis of various hole transport layers (HTLs) and electron transport layers (ETLs) is performed in order to select materials that would result in stronger perovskite solar cells with higher stability. The goal of this paper is to design a lead-free PSC using Cs₂TiBr₆ as an absorber layer in the form of Au/CuSbS₂/ Cs₂TiBr₆/WO₃/FTO. Each composite layer is optimized and analyzed through simulations utilizing SCAPS-1D software to achieve elevated performance. A maximum power-conversion efficiency of 20.40% is achieved for the proposed solar cell through optimization of the ETL, HTL, metal contact materials, defect density of the absorber and the thickness of the absorber, HTL, and FTO. These results will pave the way for developing eco-friendly and highly efficient perovskite photovoltaic devices.