Fabrication of perovskite solar cells with ZnO nanostructures prepared on seedless ITO substrate

The nanostructured ZnO thin films have been fabricated on seedless SnO2: In (ITO) substrate by using an inexpensive and uncovered hydrothermal method. These prepared ZnO films are used as electron transporting materials to fabricate the perovskite solar cells (PeSCs). The performance of PeSC has been varied with ZnO-deposition temperatures ranges from 55 to 105 °C. The ZnO films show the high crystalline wurtzite structure. The whole surface of ZnO films fabricated at the higher deposition temperatures has covered with the hexagonal nanorods/nanotubes-like structures. The maximum efficiency of 4.55% is obtained for PeSC with ZnO films prepared at 85 °C. The photocurrent increases from 8.5 to 13.9 mA/cm2 with the ZnO-deposition temperature increases from 55 to 105 °C. The PeSC with ZnO films prepared at 95 and 105 °C shows the lower efficiency than the PeSC with ZnO-85 °C, which may be caused due to the large series and shunt resistance as well as the carrier leakage in PeSCs. The surface morphological, structural, and optical properties of ZnO electrodes fabricated at various deposition temperatures have been correlated with the photovoltaic performances of PeSC prepared by these ZnO electrodes.