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ZnO semiconductor offers many advantages as an electron transport layer (ETL) in photovoltaic-based devices, including high charge carrier mobility and hole-blocking ability. In this work, ZnO thin film is introduced as an ETL between (Bi 0.93 Gd 0.07)FeO 3 (BFO7Gd) ferroelectric and ITO thin film to form ITO/ZnO/BFO7Gd/Au heterostructure. The device with the ETL exhibited a superior photoresponsivity than the one without ETL, reaching ∼32% enhancement. Furthermore, a subsequent E -field poling on the ITO/ZnO/BFO7Gd/Au heterostructure resulted in an additional ∼25% increase in photoresponsivity. The enhancement is mainly attributed to two factors: (1) high electron mobility and lower recombination rate resulting from the introduction of ZnO ETL, and (2) efficient charge separation facilitated by the polarization-driven internal E field that superimposes with the interfacial built-in E fields. The introduction of ZnO ETL and the utilization of the ferroelectric polarization prove to be an alternative route to further modulate the photosensing performance of BiFeO 3 -based near-UV photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimony sulfoselenide (Sb 2 (S,Se) 3) has been demonstrated as a promising photoabsorber for stable inorganic thin film photovoltaics with high performance. Optimizing interfacial contact and reduce the defects are essential in restraining the recombination of photo-induced carrier at heterojunction interface. In particular, the electron transport layer (ETL) directly affects the quality of Sb 2 (S,Se) 3 absorber layer as well as the performance of the device. Herein, an available and highly effective double CdS ETL is proposed to modify the heterojunction interface contact which moreover enhance the efficiency of Sb 2 (S,Se) 3 solar cells. The optimal matching of the two CdS ETLs were fully investigated, and by following this process, the ETL with high crystallinity and density is obtained, rendering high-quality Sb 2 (S,Se) 3 thin films as well. Besides, the final devices exhibit lower series resistance and larger J sc , FF, enabling improvement of the efficiency from 3.09% to 6.94%. This study provides an effective method for the surface engineering of CdS ETLs to achieve high-performance Sb 2 (S,Se) 3 solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles as ETL in perovskite solar cells. • ZnO, bilayered and composite ETLs involving ZnO and SnO 2 highly affect the charge transport mechanism of the device. • Improved J-V behaviour and interesting capacitive responses support better charge transport for composite ETL. Utilizing green-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles as an electron transport layer (ETL) is a key strategy in perovskite solar cell applications, leveraging their high electron mobility, conductivity, stability against photo-corrosion, and cost-effectiveness. In this study, these environmentally synthesized nanoparticles, combined with SnO 2 , formed a composite solution-processed ETL achieving an impressive 18.09 % device efficiency, with 1.06 V open circuit voltage, 71.71 % fill factor, and 23.80 mA/cm2 short circuit current density. These values underscore the composite material's potential for device applications. Additionally, capacitance measurements investigated ETL and absorber layer interfaces, yielding crucial insights into their behaviour under varying voltage, frequency, and illumination conditions. The study highlights the ZnO-NP and SnO 2 composite's efficacy as a superior ETL in PSCs, emphasizing the environmental sustainability implications of employing green-synthesized materials in solar energy technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to have satisfactory performance and acceptable stability, an ETL (electron transport layer) is needed that provides a high level of efficiency. It should be noted that when considering the implementation of n-type metal oxide materials, the ZnO (zinc oxide) can be a great choice for an ETL because it provides a relatively high level of mobility. The current study proposes a new design involving a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheet/Ag-doped ZnO bilayer to be utilized as ETL in planar PSCs. Extensive experimental and computational analyses including nano-micro structural, optical and electrical properties are carried out in order to compare the performance and governing mechanisms of rGO/Ag-doped bilayer-based planar PSC to ordinary un-doped ZnO. The results from the performed experiments show that using the rGO sheet as the buffer layer and Ag-doped ZnO significantly increase the power conversion efficiency (PCE) by more than 30% compared to un-doped ZnO ETL in planar PSCs. These improvements in the performance of PSCs can be explained based on fine tuning the energy levels of ZnO/perovskite, since this increases the charge-carrier-extraction from the perovskite layer. Moreover, the results of the study confirm the using the rGO/Ag-doped ZnO bilayer ETL as a new methodology for the creation of stable planar PSCs with low charge recombination rate and high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]