Device modeling of perovskite solar cells based on structural similarity with thin film inorganic semiconductor solar cells

Device modeling of CH3NH3PbI3-xCl3 perovskite-based solar cells was performed. The perovskite solar cells employ a similar structure with inorganic semiconductor solar cells, such as Cu(In, Ga) Se-2, and the exciton in the perovskite is Wannier-type. We, therefore, applied one-dimensional device simulator widely used in the Cu(In, Ga)Se-2 solar cells. A high open-circuit voltage of 1.0V reported experimentally was successfully reproduced in the simulation, and also other solar cell parameters well consistent with real devices were obtained. In addition, the effect of carrier diffusion length of the absorber and interface defect densities at front and back sides and the optimum thickness of the absorber were analyzed. The results revealed that the diffusion length experimentally reported is long enough for high efficiency, and the defect density at the front interface is critical for high efficiency. Also, the optimum absorber thickness well consistent with the thickness range of real devices was derived. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.