Nano-structured CuO-Cu2O Complex Thin Film for Application in CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells

Nano-structured CuO-Cu2O complex thin film-based perovskite solar cells were fabricated on an indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass and studied. Copper (Cu) thin films with a purity of 99.995 % were deposited on an ITO-coated glass by magnetron reactive sputtering. To optimize the properties of the nano-structured CuO-Cu2O complex thin films, the deposited Cu thin films were thermally oxidized at various temperatures from 300 to 400 degrees C. A CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite absorber was fabricated on top of CuO-Cu2O complex thin film by a one-step spin-coating process with a toluene washing treatment. Following optimization, the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeded 8.1 %. Therefore, the low-cost, solution-processed, stable nano-structured CuO-Cu2O complex thin film can be used as an alternative hole transport layer (HTL) in industrially produced perovskite solar cells.