IMPACT OF AIR PROCESSING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELLS PREPARED BY SEQUENTIAL SOLUTION DEPOSITION

Abstract

The transition to renewable energy has driven significant interest in solar technologies, with perovskite solar cells (PSCs) emerging as a upcoming alternative because of their potential for low-cost, high-efficiency energy conversion. However, challenges related to fabrication processes, environmental sensitivity, and scalability hinder their widespread commercialization. This capstone project investigates the effect of air-based fabrication on PSC performance, aiming to explore cost-effective, scalable production methods. Devices using Spiro-OMeTAD as the hole transport layer were fabricated under both controlled glovebox and ambient air conditions, with and without the use of selfassembled monolayers (SAMs). The impact of fabrication conditions on surface morphology was analyzed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), revealing a direct correlation between smoother surfaces and improved device performance. The results show that air-processed PSCs can achieve competitive efficiencies (up to 18.1%), and SAM treatment significantly enhances performance, reaching up to 20.7% PCE. These findings highlight the viability of low-cost, air-based processing for scalable perovskite solar cell manufacturing, paving the way for future advancements in renewable energy technologies.