Pathways towards 30% efficient single-junction perovskite solar cells and the role of mobile ions

TL;DR

This paper presents a simulation model showing that optimizing device parameters can achieve over 30% efficiency in single-junction perovskite solar cells, with mobile ions not being a major barrier.

Contribution

The study introduces a comprehensive simulation model and identifies key parameters for surpassing 30% efficiency in perovskite solar cells, considering existing experimental parameters.

Findings

Achieving 30% efficiency is possible with optimized built-in potential.

High mobile ion density does not significantly hinder efficiency improvements.

Maximum predicted efficiency is 31% for a 1.4 eV bandgap.

Abstract

Perovskite semiconductors have demonstrated outstanding external luminescence quantum yields, enabling high power conversion efficiencies (PCE). However, the precise conditions to advance to an efficiency regime above monocrystalline silicon cells are not well understood. Here, we establish a simulation model that well describes efficient p-i-n type perovskite solar cells and a range of different experiments. We then study important device and material parameters and we find that an efficiency regime of 30% can be unlocked by optimizing the built-in potential across the perovskite layer by using either highly doped (10^19 cm-3), thick transport layers (TLs) or ultrathin undoped TLs, e.g. self-assembled monolayers. Importantly, we only consider parameters that have been already demonstrated in recent literature, that is a bulk lifetime of 10 us, interfacial recombination velocities of 10 cm/s, a perovskite bandgap of 1.5 eV and an EQE of 95%. A maximum efficiency of 31% is predicted for a bandgap of 1.4 eV. Finally, we demonstrate that the relatively high mobile ion density does not represent a significant barrier to reach this efficiency regime. Thus, the results of this paper promise continuous PCE improvements until perovskites may become the most efficient single-junction solar cell technology in the near future.