Metal Oxide Charge Transport Layers for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 29; no. 47
• Main Authors: Shin, Seong Sik, Lee, Seon Joo, Seok, Sang Il
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2019
• Subjects: Charge materials; Charge transport; charge transport layers; colloidal nanoparticles; Efficiency; Electromagnetic absorption; Low temperature; Materials science; Metal oxides; perovskite solar cells; Perovskites; Photovoltaic cells; Solar cells; Stability
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201900455

Currently, the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is ≈24%. For the fabrication of such high efficiency PSCs, it is necessary to use both electron and hole transport layers to effectively separate the charges generated by light absorption of the perovskite layer and selectively transfer the separated electrons and holes. In addition to the efficiency, the materials used for transporting charges must be resilient to light, heat, and moisture to ensure long‐term stability of PSCs; furthermore, low‐cost fabrication is required to form a charge transport layer at low temperatures by a solution process. For this purpose, metal oxides are best suited as charge transport materials for PSCs because of their advantages such as low cost, long‐term stability, and high efficiency. In this Review, the metal oxide electron and hole transport materials used in PSCs are reviewed and preparation of these materials is summarized. Finally, the challenges and future research direction for metal oxide‐based charge transport materials are described. Metal oxides are used as charge transporting layers to effectively separate the photogenerated electrons and holes in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The metal oxide layers require a wide bandgap, a good charge mobility, and a compatible band alignment with the perovskite layers. This review summarizes and correlates the preparation and performance of the various metal oxides used in PSCs.