This review provides an overview of the progress & developments of PSCs, beginning with introduction to their fundamental properties & significance. It discusses the various types of PSCs, highlighting their unique attributes & performance metrics.

The study elucidates the potential benefits of incorporating a BiI₃ interfacial layer into perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Using MAPbI₃ and MAGeI₃ as active layers, complemented by the robust TiO₂ and Spiro-OMeTAD as the charge-transport-layers, we employed the SCAPS-1D simulation tool for our investigations. Remarkably, the introduction of the BiI₃ layer at the perovskite-HTL interface significantly enhanced hole extraction and effectively passivated defects. This approach minimized charge recombination and ion migration towards opposite electrodes, thus elevating device performance relative to conventional configurations. The efficiency witnessed a rise from 19.28 to 20.30% for MAPbI₃ and from 11.90 to 15.57% for MAGeI₃. Additionally, MAGeI₃ based PSCs saw an improved fill-factor from 50.36 to 62.85%, and a better J_sc from 13.22 to 14.2 mA/cm², signifying reduced recombination and improved charge extraction. The FF for MAPbI₃ based PSCs saw a minor decline, while the V_oc slightly ascended from 1.24 to 1.25 V and J_sc from 20.01 to 21.6 mA/cm². A thorough evaluation of layer thickness, doping, and temperature further highlighted the critical role of the BiI₃ layer for both perovskite variants. Our examination of bandgap alignments in devices with the BiI₃ interfacial layer also offers valuable understanding into the mechanisms fueling the observed improvements.

The effect of carbon and copper based charge transport layers on the behavior and performance of FAPbI₃ perovskite solar cells was investigated with SrCu₂O₂/FAPbI₃/PCBM structure outperforming others and achieving 26.48% efficiency.

Organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have achieved the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of more than 25%. However, the organic compound in the material is causing structural degradation of the PSC owing to heat (thermal instability), humidity and moisture. This has led to the exploration of only inorganic perovskite materials. Inorganic PSCs such as caesium have seen a breakthrough by achieving highly stable PSC with PCE exceeding 15%. In this work, the inorganic non-toxic PSC of caesium germanium tri-iodide (CsGeI ₃ ) is numerically modelled in SCAPS-1D with two carbon-based electron transport layers (ETLs) and two copper-based hole transport layers (HTLs). This study introduces in-depth numerical modelling and analysis of CsGeI ₃ through continuity and Poisson equations. Cu HTLs are selected to increase the electric conductivity of the cell, while carbon-based ETL is used to increase the thermal conductivity of the PSC. A total of four unique PSC structures are designed and presented. A systematic approach is adopted to obtain the optimized PSC design parameters for maximum performance. From the optimized results, it is observed that the C ₆₀ /CsGeI ₃ /CuSCN structure is the highest performance PSC, with open-circuit voltage ( V _oc ) of 1.0169 V, short-circuit current density ( J _sc ) of 19.653 mA cm ⁻² , fill factor of 88.13% and the PCE of 17.61%. Moreover, the effect of quantum efficiency, electric field, interface recombination, interface defects, layer thickness, defect density, doping concentration, working temperature and reflection coating on the cell performance are studied in detail.

The allure of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), which has captivated the interest of researchers, lies in their versatility to incorporate a wide range of materials within the cell’s structure. The compatibility of these materials plays a vital role in the performance enhancement of the PSC. In this study, multiple perovskite materials including FAPbI₃, MAGeI₃ and MASnI₃ are numerically modelled along with the recently emerged kesterite (CBTS, CMTS, and CZTS) and zinc-based (ZnO and CdZnS) charge transport materials. To fully explore the potential of PSCs and comprehend the interplay among these materials, a total of 18 PSC structures are modeled from different material combinations. The impact of band gap, electron affinity, absorption, band alignment, band offset, electric field, recombination rate, thickness, defects, and work function were analyzed in detail through a systematic approach. The reasons for varying performance of different PSCs are also identified. Based on the simulated results, the most suitable charge transport materials are CdZnS/CMTS for FAPbI₃ producing a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.05%, ZnO/CZTS for MAGeI₃ with PCE of 17.28% and ZnO/CBTS for MASnI₃ with a PCE of 24.17%.