Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Morphology, Structure and Optical Properties of Spin-Coated SnO₂ Films for Solar Cell Application

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have rapidly become a hot area of research in the photovoltaic field due to their (e.g., 26.2%), ease of fabrication, and low cost. Over the last decade the electron transport layer (ETL) has been one of the most critical elements in achieving high-performing solar cells, necessitating a higher electron mobility and superior charge extraction ability. Consequently, there is a significant demand for an improved ETL that is not only cost-effective but also exhibits high charge extraction and mobility, particularly in the context of planar solar cell architecture. Tin Oxide (SnO2) has emerged as one of the most promising high-performance inorganic ETLs suitable for PSCs. In this work, we synthesize solution-processed SnO2. The spin-coated SnO2 thin films undergo annealing at relatively low temperatures ranging from 130 °C to 180 °C and various characterization tools are employed for the evaluation of thin films.

Keywords

• transparent conductive oxide (TCO)
• electron transport layer (ETL)
• post annealing
• perovskite solar cell
• charge carriers