Fabrication of ZnO/CuBr1-x I x microstructural transparent solar cells with buffer layer

Abstract

Transparent solar cells (TSCs) are invisible, landscape-harmonized power generation devices that can be installed on a large number of surfaces. Herein, ZnO/CuBr1-x I x (CuBrI) microstructural TSCs with ZnO nanorods (NR) were fabricated via a solution process; the ZnO NRs were used to decrease carrier loss. A ZnO or MgO buffer layer (BL) was introduced between ZnO and CuBrI to improve the open circuit voltage (V OC). The BLs significantly improved the V OC by reducing the leakage current. Moreover, owing to the suppression of carrier recombination near the p-n junction interface, the short circuit current density (J SC) of the TSC with MgO BL increased, and the V OC improved further. The TSC with MgO BL exhibited the highest power density of 7.3 nW cm−2 with a V OC of 42 mV, J SC of 0.64 μA cm−2, fill factor of 26.7%, and transmittance of over 70% across a wavelength range greater than 500 nm.