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A low-temperature TiO2/SnO2 electron transport layer for high-performance planar perovskite solar cells

低温 TiO2/SnO2 双电子传输层的光电性能及其在 钙钛矿电池中的应用

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Abstract

Conventional titanium oxide (TiO2) as an electron transport layer (ETL) in hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) requires a sintering process at a high temperature to crystalize, which is not suitable for flexible PSCs and tandem solar cells with their low-temperature-processed bottom cell. Here, we introduce a low-temperature solution method to deposit a TiO2/tin oxide (SnO2) bilayer towards an efficient ETL. From the systematic measurements of optical and electronic properties, we demonstrate that the TiO2/SnO2 ETL has an enhanced charge extraction ability and a suppressed carrier recombination at the ETL/perovskite interface, both of which are beneficial to photo-generated carrier separation and transport. As a result, PSCs with TiO2/SnO2 bilayer ETLs present higher photovoltaic performance of the baseline cells compared with their TiO2 and SnO2 single-layer ETL counterparts. The champion PSC has a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.11% with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.15 V, a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 22.77 mA cm−2, and a fill factor (FF) of 72.38%. Additionally, due to the suitable band alignment of the TiO2/SnO2 ETL in the device, a high Voc of 1.18 V is achieved. It has been proven that the TiO2/SnO2 bilayer is a promising alternative ETL for high efficiency PSCs.

摘要

作为有机-无机钙钛矿杂化太阳能电池(PSCs)常用的电子传 输层(ETL), 氧化钛(TiO2)须在高温下烧结才能结晶, 因而难以适用 于柔性和串联叠层太阳能电池. 本文介绍了-种低温溶液法制备TiO2/氧化锡(SnO2)电子传输层, 并通过对TiO2/SnO2 ETL的系统光 学和电学性能测试, 证明TiO2/SnO2 ETL与钙钛矿层界面之间具有更好的电荷抽取能力和较少的载流子复合, 这有利于光致载流子 的分离和传输. 因此, 与单-的ETL相比, 基于TiO2/SnO2的PSCs展 现出更好的光伏性能, 其最大光电转换效率(PCE)为19.11%, 开路电压(Voc)为1.15 V, 短路电流密度为22.77 mA cm−2, 填充因子为72.38%. 此外, 由于TiO2/SnO2电子传输层与钙钛矿层能带更匹配, 电池的Voc 最高达到了1.18 V. 综上所述, 本文提出了-种具有广泛 应用前景的TiO2/SnO2电子传输层.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development of China (2018YFB1500103 and 2018YFB0704100), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (61574145, 61874177, 51502315 and 61704176), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation (LR16F040002), Zhejiang Energy Group (znkj-2018-118)).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China

    Nan Li  (李楠), Jin Yan  (闫锦), Yuqian Ai  (艾余钱), Ershuai Jiang  (姜二帅), Liujin Lin  (林鎏金), Baojie Yan  (闫宝杰), Jiang Sheng  (盛江) & Jichun Ye  (叶继春)

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Nan Li  (李楠), Jin Yan  (闫锦), Ershuai Jiang  (姜二帅) & Jichun Ye  (叶继春)

  3. Zhejiang Energy Group R&D, Hangzhou, 310003, China

    Chunhui Shou  (寿春晖)

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  1. Nan Li  (李楠)
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  2. Jin Yan  (闫锦)
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  3. Yuqian Ai  (艾余钱)
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  6. Chunhui Shou  (寿春晖)
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  7. Baojie Yan  (闫宝杰)
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  8. Jiang Sheng  (盛江)
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  9. Jichun Ye  (叶继春)
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Contributions

Ye J designed and engineered the experiments; Li N and Ai Y performed the experiments; Li N and Yan J conceived the fabrication process of the device; Li N and Jiang E performed the data analysis; Li N and Sheng J wrote the paper with the support from Yan B; Shou C and Lin L contributed to the theoretical analysis. All authors contributed to the general discussion.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jiang Sheng  (盛江) or Jichun Ye  (叶继春).

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Nan Li is a joint training MSc student in Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), supervised by Prof. Jichun Ye. She received her BSc degree in new energy technology and engineering from Central South University, Changsha, China, in 2017. Her research interests focus on the interface engineering and carrier dynamic process for perovskite solar cells.

Jiang Sheng received his PhD degree in the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, in 2012. After being a postdoctoral in NIMTE, CAS (2013–2015), he worked as an associate professor since then. His research mainly focuses on the nanomaterials, interface engineering and carrier dynamic process for perovskite solar cells, silicon heterojunction solar cells. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed papers, and filed more than 10 patents.

Jichun Ye received PhD degree in materials science from the University of California, Davis, USA in 2005. He joined NIMTE, CAS, as a professor and PhD advisor since August of 2012. He was awarded for “Thousand Young Talents Program of China” in 2012. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers with nearly 500 citations, and filed more than 40 patents (including 10 awarded patents).

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Li, N., Yan, J., Ai, Y. et al. A low-temperature TiO2/SnO2 electron transport layer for high-performance planar perovskite solar cells. Sci. China Mater. 63, 207–215 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-019-9586-x

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