Performance of Cu-doped V₂O₅ thin film as a hole transport layer in perovskite-based solar cells

Abstract Herein, the performance of Cu-doped V 2 O 5 thin film as a hole transport layer (HTL) in inverted planar (p-i-n) perovskite solar cells was reported. The structural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties of Cu-doped V 2 O 5 thin films, with varying Cu concentrations, were analyzed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, atomic force microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and a four-point probe system. The sheet resistance of the V 2 O 5 HTLs decreased significantly with Cu doping, leading to an increase in the devices’ short-circuit current, which depended on the Cu concentration in the V 2 O 5 thin films. It was demonstrated that V 2 O 5 thin films produced using a low-temperature process can serve as a HTL in p-i-n perovskite solar cells. Furthermore, Cu doping in V 2 O 5 thin films was shown to enhance the power conversion efficiency of the devices.