Designing a stable lead-free MASnBr ₃ perovskite solar cell using numerical simulation for efficient energy harvesting

Although lead-based perovskites initially had a breakthrough with their impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE), their toxicity was the reason why scientists were still seeking a safe alternative. A safe alternative offering environmental friendliness, inherent adaptability and flexibility was tin-based organometallic halide perovskites. Even though it exhibited a significantly lower PCE than their lead counterparts, further optimization could make it work better. This study focuses on methanaminium tin bromide (MASnBr[Formula: see text], a specific tin-based perovskite, explored as a potential absorber layer to address the significantly lower PCE and to optimize it further utilizing the ability of electron-transport layer (ETL) i.e., BrNiPC and hole-transport layer (HTL) Spiro-OMeTAD, respectively. The study uses SCAPS-1D software for carrying out numerical simulations. These simulations helped to analyze the complexities of the cell and identify the factors to be optimized. By optimizing the key parameters like layer thickness, band gaps, defect density and others carefully, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the optimized cell was 24.98%. This significant amplification in PCE signifies the optimized tin-based perovskites as a viable and eco-friendly alternative to their lead-based counterparts. Further research efforts focused on material composition, fabrication techniques and interface engineering have the potential to bridge the remaining gap and usher in a new era of safe and efficient photovoltaic technology.