Numerical Investigation of Lead-Free CH3NH3SnI3 Perovskite Solar Cell for Photovoltaic Performance Improvement using SCAPS-1D

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are gaining popularity for their superior photovoltaic (PV) performance compared to traditional PV cells. Among the many advantages of PSCs are their low cost, ease of production, capacity to tune parameters such as energy bandgap, excellent electrical and optical properties, as well as effective thin-film deposition. This study conducts numerical simulation and optimisation of a CH3NH3SnI3-based PSC using SCAPS-1D software under ideal lighting conditions. CH3NH3SnI3 perovskite absorber layer is eco-friendly and exhibits suitable structural, electrical and optical properties for photovoltaic applications. The recommended arrangement for the CH3NH3SnI3-based PSC consists of the Al/ITO/ZnO/CH3NH3SnI3/Cu2O/Ni structure. Al act as the front contact in this scheme, while ITO appears as a transparent conductive layer, electron transport layer (ETL) is facilitated by ZnO, while the hole transport layer (HTL) is formed by Cu20, and the rear contact is provided by Ni. We examine in detail to investigate the impacts arising from alterations in both absorber layer thickness and doping density, alongside variations in the thickness and doping density of the ETL. Simultaneously, we investigate the precise impact of temperature and the defect concentration at the interfaces involving the absorber, and charge transport layers on the PSC performance. The proposed PSC attains efficiency of 29.00% with notable $\mathbf{V}_{OC}$ of 1.06 V, $\mathbf{J}_{SC}$ of 34.00 mA/cm², and FF of 80.49