Carbon Electrode with Sputtered Au Coating for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer low-cost, high-efficiency solar energy conversion.
• Efficient PSCs often rely on noble metal electrodes like gold (Au), typically applied via thermal evaporation.
• Sputtered gold electrodes can degrade sensitive layers in PSCs, hindering performance and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, cost-effective electrode for fabricating efficient and stable planar PSCs.
• To investigate a sputtered gold nanoparticle decorated carbon electrode as an alternative to traditional thermal evaporation methods.
• To assess the performance and stability of PSCs utilizing this new composite electrode.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a composite electrode by sputtering gold nanoparticles onto a doctor-bladed coated carbon electrode.
• Integration of the composite electrode into planar PSCs via mechanical stacking.
• Optimization of gold thickness and performance testing, including power conversion efficiency (PCE) measurements and stability tests under humid conditions.

Main Results:

• The optimized composite electrode achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.87%, significantly outperforming the reference device (12.38%).
• PSCs with the composite electrode retained 96% of their performance after 100 hours of storage under 50-60% relative humidity without encapsulation.
• The sputtering method on the carbon electrode avoids damage to the underlying perovskite and hole transport layers.

Conclusions:

• A sputtered gold nanoparticle decorated carbon electrode provides an efficient and stable alternative for PSC fabrication.
• This approach offers a promising pathway for large-scale manufacturability and commercialization of PSC solar modules.
• The developed electrode overcomes the limitations of traditional sputtered electrodes, enabling high performance and stability.