Enhanced Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells with Tungsten-Doped SnO2 as an Electron Transport Material

This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of tungsten (W)-doped SnO2 as an electron transport material (ETM) for perovskite solar cells (PSC). The aim is to enhance the performance of PSCs by improving the properties of the ETM. The W-doped SnO2 was synthesized by dissolving SnO2 and W in deionized water, followed by sonication. The doping was achieved using a spin-coating technique, with subsequent annealing at 350 degrees C for 20 min. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed characteristic peaks of SnO2 at 2 theta values of 26.53 degrees, 33.82 degrees, 37.67 degrees, 51.59 degrees, and 54.69 degrees, alongside an additional peak at 2 theta = 14.46 degrees, indicative of successful tungsten incorporation. Field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of a uniform electron transport layer on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass, with a thickness of approximately 44.66 nm. UV-Vis spectroscopy measurements showed that the band gap of W-doped SnO2 was 4.38 eV. Performance evaluation revealed that the W-doped SnO2 ETL outperformed the undoped SnO2 ETL in PSC applications, as evidenced by significant improvements in open-circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF), short-circuit current density (Jsc), and power conversion efficiency. Incorporating W into the SnO2 ETL led to a marked increase in overall device efficiency, corroborated by a hysteresis curve demonstrating reduced J-V loss. The optimized W-doped SnO2 ETL-based PSC achieved a notable power conversion efficiency of up to 8.02%, with Voc, Jsc, and FF reaching 0.89 V, 23.65 mA/cm(2), and 0.45, respectively. This study highlights the significant potential of W-doped SnO2 as a promising ETM for enhancing the efficiency of PSCs.