Increase the efficiency of lead sulfide colloidal quantum dots solar cells by incorporating In2O3 and NiO interlayers

Abstract

Substantial advancements have been made in PbS colloidal quantum dot solar cells (CQDSCs) by focusing on device architecture, manipulating band alignment, and refining the surface chemistry of colloidal quantum dots (CQDs). Nevertheless, creating an incredibly stable and efficient solar cell remains a challenging problem for researchers in this field. This study reveals that the efficiency of PbS CQDSCs can be improved by incorporating ultrathin In2O3 (between ITO electrode & indium-doped zinc oxide ETL) and NiO (between PbS-EDT HTL and Au electrode) nanocrystalline interlayers. The enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE), which increases from 11.5 % to 13.6 %, is attributed to the improved surface smoothness and well-matched energy bandgap. Furthermore, following a heating period of 90 min at a temperature of 80 °C and 50 days of storage in the air, the solar cells containing these interlayers retained 98 % and 99 % of their initial efficiency, respectively. In distinction, the control device without these interlayers maintained only 85 % and 91 % of their initial efficiency under identical testing environments.