Enhanced photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells by Co-doped spinel nickel cobaltite hole transporting layer

Apostolos Ioakeimidis; Ioannis T. Papadas; Dimitris Tsikritzis; Gerasimos S. Armatas; Stella Kennou; Stelios A. Choulis

doi:10.1063/1.5079954

APL Materials (Feb 2019)

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells by Co-doped spinel nickel cobaltite hole transporting layer

Apostolos Ioakeimidis,
Ioannis T. Papadas,
Dimitris Tsikritzis,
Gerasimos S. Armatas,
Stella Kennou,
Stelios A. Choulis

Affiliations

Apostolos Ioakeimidis: Molecular Electronics and Photonics Research Unit, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol 3603, Cyprus
Ioannis T. Papadas: Molecular Electronics and Photonics Research Unit, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol 3603, Cyprus
Dimitris Tsikritzis: Molecular Electronics and Photonics Research Unit, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol 3603, Cyprus
Gerasimos S. Armatas: Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Greece
Stella Kennou: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
Stelios A. Choulis: Molecular Electronics and Photonics Research Unit, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol 3603, Cyprus

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5079954
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 7, no. 2
pp. 021101 – 021101-6

Abstract

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A solution combustion synthesized hole transport layer (HTL) of spinel nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4) incorporating 3% Cu–2% Li was fabricated using the doctor-blading technique for planar inverted perovskite solar cells (PVSCs). PVSCs incorporating 3% Cu–2% Li-doped NiCo2O4 showed an increase in Jsc and Voc device performance parameters compared to unmodified NiCo2O4, leading to power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.5%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements revealed the tendency of Cu cations to replace preferably the surface Ni atoms by changing the surface stoichiometry of NiCo2O4, inducing a cathodic polarization. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements unveiled the increase in the ionization potential by 0.1 eV for a co-doped NiCo2O4 film compared to unmodified NiCo2O4-based HTL. We attribute the enhanced PCE of the inverted PVSCs presented to the improved hole extraction properties of 3% Cu–2% Li NiCo2O4 HTL.

Published in APL Materials

ISSN: 2166-532X (Online)
Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology: Biotechnology; Science: Physics
Website: http://aplmaterials.aip.org

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