Resolving the Contradiction between Efficiency and Transparency of Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells by Optimizing Dielectric-Metal-Dielectric Transparent Top Electrode

Semitransparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs) have recently shown their significance in building-integrating photovoltaics. Normally, the conductivity and transparency of the top electrode directly affects the properties of the ST-PSC. The transparency of metal electrodes is extremely sensitive to thickness, but an ultrathin metal film (<10 nm) shows an unexpectedly low conductivity. Herein, a sandwich-type transparent conductive electrode is designed by combining atomic layer deposition ZnO and thermally evaporated Ag films, and proved that its film conductivity and optical transmittance are superior to metal electrodes with the same thickness. By using an optimized solution-based thin and continuous CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI(3)) film as the light absorber layer, the ST-PSCs demonstrate a power conversion effiency of 10% and an average visible transmittance of 19.6%. The results illustrate a strategy of novel structure designs for the electrode to overcome the contradiction between the efficiency and transparency of ST-PSCs.

Automated summary

The researchers designed a sandwich-type transparent conductive electrode by combining atomic layer deposition ZnO and thermally evaporated Ag films, proving that its film conductivity and optical transmittance are superior to metal electrodes with the same thickness. By using an optimized solution-based thin and continuous CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI(3)) film as the light absorber layer, the semitransparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs) achieved a power conversion efficiency of 10% and an average visible transmittance of 19.6%. These findings illustrate a novel structure design strategy to overcome the contradiction between the efficiency and transparency of ST-PSCs.