Low Temperature Production and Optimization of EMIMBF4 Ionic Liquid Doped SnO2 Electron Transfer Layer for Perovskite Solar Cells

Year 2023, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 2130 - 2142, 01.09.2023

Murat Ebiç

https://doi.org/10.21597/jist.1273053

Abstract

Electron transfer layer (ETL) is vital importance for obtaining high performance perovskite solar cells (PSC). This can be achieved by producing tin oxide (SnO2) ETL, which is produced at high temperature, has appropriate energy band alignment, high optical transmittance and high carrier mobility. ETL produced at low temperature generally has low crystallization, poor electron mobility, and abundant defects at grain boundaries. This prevents efficient load transport, creates recombination and causes serious energy losses. In this paper, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIMBF4) ionic liquid (IL) was added into SnO2 ETL in different concentrations to improve these negative properties caused by the production of SnO2 ETL at low temperature, using spin-coater technique at low temperature (100 °C) was prepared. Optical properties of EMIMBF4 IL doped SnO2 ETL and perovskite films were investigated using UV-vis-NIR spectrometry and photoluminescence spectrophotometer (PL) measurement. The surface morphology of the produced films was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The crystal structure analysis of the films was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hydrophilic/hydrophobic behavior of the surfaces was evaluated using contact angle measurement. It has been observed that EMIMBF4 doped SnO2 ETL films have fewer surface defects by passivation of surface defects compared to pure SnO2 ETL film and they crystallize at a relatively low and economical temperature (100°C). It has been determined that 0.5% EMIMBF4 doped films give better optical and structural results than other doped and pure ETL films, albeit low.

Keywords

Low temperature production, SnO2, Electron transport layer, Ionic liquids, EMIMBF4

Perovskite Güneş Hücreleri İçin EMIMBF4 İyonik Sıvı Katkılı SnO2 Elektron Transfer Tabakasının Düşük Sıcaklıkta Üretimi ve Optimizasyonu

Abstract

Yüksek performansa sahip perovskite güneş hücreleri (PSC)’nin elde edilebilmesi için elektron transfer tabakası (ETL) oldukça hayati öneme sahiptir. Bu durum yüksek sıcaklıkta üretilen, uygun enerji bandı hizalamasına ve yüksek optik geçirgenlik ile yüksek taşıyıcı hareketliliğine sahip kalay oksit (SnO2) ETL'nın üretilebilmesiyle mümkün olabilmektedir. Düşük sıcaklıkta üretilen ETL’nda genellikle düşük kristalleşme, zayıf elektron hareketliliği ve tane sınırlarında bol miktarda kusur meydana gelmektedir. Bu da verimli yük taşınmasını engelleyerek, rekombinasyon oluşturmakta ve ciddi enerji kayıplarına sebep olmaktadır. Bu çalışmada düşük sıcaklıkta SnO2 ETL üretiminden kaynaklanan bu olumsuz özellikleri iyileştirmek amacıyla SnO2 ETL içerisine 1-etil-3-metilimidazolyum tetrafloroborat (EMIMBF4) iyonik sıvı (IL)’sı farklı konsantrasyonlarda katkılanarak döndürerek kaplama (spin-coater) tekniği ile düşük sıcaklıkta (100 °C) hazırlanmıştır. EMIMBF4 IL katkılı SnO2 ETL ve perovskite filmlerin optik özellikleri UV-vis-NIR spektrometresi ve fotolüminesans spektrofotometresi (PL) ölçümü kullanılarak araştırılmıştır. Üretilen filmlerin alan emisyonlu taramalı elektron mikroskobu (FE-SEM) ve atomik kuvvet mikroskobu (AFM) ile yüzey morfolojisi incelenmiştir. Filmlerin kristal yapı analizi ise X-ışını kırınımı (XRD) ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Temas açısı ölçümü kullanılarak yüzeylerin hidrofilik/hidrofobik davranışları değerlendirilmiştir. EMIMBF4 katkılı SnO2 ETL filmlerin saf SnO2 ETL filme göre yüzey kusurlarının pasivize edilerek daha az yüzey kusurlarına sahip oldukları ve nispeten daha düşük ve ekonomik bir sıcaklık da (100°C) kristalleştikleri görülmüştür. %0.5 EMIMBF4 katkılı filmlerin düşük de olsa diğer katkılı ve saf ETL filmlere göre daha iyi optik ve yapısal sonuçlar verdiği tespit edilmiştir.

Keywords

Düşük sıcaklıkta üretim, SnO2, Elektron transfer tabakası, İyonik sıvılar, EMIMBF4

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