Performance Investigation and Efficiency Enhancement of Eco-Friendly Tin-Based CH3NH3SnI3 Perovskite Solar Cell via SCAPS-1D

Abstract

Halide perovskite materials, particularly lead-based CH3NH3PbI3, have garnered significant attention in the PV industry for their exceptional efficiency in solar cell applications. However, due to the toxicity of lead, research interest has shifted toward Sn-based alternatives. This study explores a lead-free Sn-based perovskite solar cell (PSC) with the structure ITO/TiO2/CH3NH3SnI3/CBTS/Ni, where CH3NH3SnI3 (MASnI3) serves as the absorber material, TiO2 as the electron transport layer (ETL), Cu2BaSnS4 (CBTS) as the hole transporting layer (HTL). Device performance is analyzed using the SCAPS-1D simulation software. The impact of key performance-determining parameters, including the thickness, doping density, and defect density of the absorber, ETL, and HTL, has been accounted for. The proposed PSC architecture, optimized for key performance-determining parameters, achieves a power conversion efficiency PCE (η) of 27.28%, an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.0283 V, a fill factor (FF) of 83.62%, and a short-circuit current density (JSC) of 31.72 mA/cm2. This study examines the influence of interface defect density, shunt and series resistances, back-contact metal work function, and operating temperature on the performance of PSCs. Furthermore, the analysis includes current density-voltage (J-V) and quantum efficiency (QE) characteristics to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed PSC.