Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Interface energetics critically govern charge transport, recombination, and device performance in organic and perovskite solar cells. • Unmatched energy level alignment at interfaces leads to injection or extraction barriers, causing thermionic loss and charge recombination loss, affecting Voc and FF. • Charge accumulation due to poor energetics can induce hysteresis and stability issues in perovskite solar cells. • Charge transport layers (CTLs) must be solvent resistant, thermally stable, and thickness tolerant for roll-to-roll fabrication, with requirements differing between OSCs and PSCs.
Abstract
Improving the quality of life for Earth’s growing population is a complex task that requires the development of new technologies and materials. Perhaps the biggest challenge is access to clean and renewable energy sources that can drive a sustainable future. Photovoltaics, today mainly represented by silicon-based solar cells, convert solar energy into electricity and is already an important component in the renewable energy portfolio. Organic solar cells (OSCs) and perovskite solar cells (PSCs) both offer advantages compared to silicon solar cells such as low-temperature solution processing, flexibility and semi-transparency while sharing similar device structures consisting of a photoactive layer (PAL) sandwiched between an anode and a cathode contact. The anode and cathode contacts in OSCs and PSCs typically consist of a charge transport layer (CTL) and a conductor (often a metal), and the CTLs significantly impact device performance. The CTLs used in OSCs and PSCs share many functionalities. OSCs and PSCs fabrication involves sequential deposition of layers from solution and treatments at elevated temperatures, so the CTLs must be solvent resistant and stable under thermal cycling (also important for long-term device stability). Preferably, the CTLs should also have sufficient tolerance to thickness variations to facilitate roll-to-roll fabrication. The CTL requirements however differ for OSCs and PSCs due to the unique respective properties of the organic semiconductor and metal halide perovskite PALs, so we will discuss them separately below.
1. Introduction
Improving the quality of life for Earth’s growing population is a complex task that requires the development of new technologies and materials. Perhaps the biggest challenge is access to clean and renewable energy sources that can drive a sustainable future. Photovoltaics, today mainly represented by silicon-based solar cells, convert solar energy into electricity and is already an important component in the renewable energy portfolio. Organic solar cells (OSCs) and perovskite solar cells (PSCs) both offer advantages compared to silicon solar cells such as low-temperature solution processing, flexibility and semi-transparency while sharing similar device structures consisting of a photoactive layer (PAL) sandwiched between an anode and a cathode contact.
The anode and cathode contacts in OSCs and PSCs typically consist of a charge transport layer (CTL) and a conductor (often a metal), and the CTLs significantly impact device performance. The CTLs used in OSCs and PSCs share many functionalities. OSCs and PSCs fabrication involves sequential deposition of layers from solution and treatments at elevated temperatures, so the CTLs must be solvent resistant and stable under thermal cycling (also important for long-term device stability). Preferably, the CTLs should also have sufficient tolerance to thickness variations to facilitate roll-to-roll fabrication. The CTL requirements however differ for OSCs and PSCs due to the unique respective properties of the organic semiconductor and metal halide perovskite PALs, so we will discuss them separately below.
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Shaobing Xiong, Mats Fahlman, Qinye Bao (2025). Interface energetics in organic and perovskite semiconductor solar cells. SinoTechIntel Verified Research. https://doi.org/10.1088/1674-4926/25010021
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of interface energetics in solar cells?
Interface energetics determine the energy level alignment at the interfaces between the photoactive layer and charge transport layers, which critically affects charge transport, recombination, and ultimately the device performance in terms of open-circuit voltage and fill factor.
How do unmatched interface energetics affect device performance?
Unmatched interface energetics can form injection or extraction barriers for charge carriers, leading to thermionic loss or charge recombination loss, respectively. This can reduce the open-circuit voltage and fill factor, and cause charge accumulation leading to hysteresis and stability issues.
What are the common requirements for charge transport layers in organic and perovskite solar cells?
Charge transport layers must be solvent resistant, stable under thermal cycling, and have sufficient tolerance to thickness variations to facilitate roll-to-roll fabrication. However, the specific requirements differ between organic and perovskite solar cells due to the distinct properties of the photoactive layers.
Why is interface engineering important for perovskite solar cells?
Perovskite surfaces and interfaces are rich in chemical and electronic defects that can trap or annihilate photogenerated carriers. Proper interface engineering ensures favorable energy level alignment, reduces recombination losses, and improves device efficiency and stability.
What are the advantages of organic and perovskite solar cells over silicon solar cells?
Organic and perovskite solar cells offer advantages such as low-temperature solution processing, flexibility, and semi-transparency, which are not typically available with silicon-based solar cells.
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