The Role of Counter Electrode in Perovskite Solar Cell on Silicon Substrate to Enhance Power Conversion Efficiency for CMOS-Compatible Applications

This study investigates the impact of various counter-electrode materials on the overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) fabricated on silicon substrates. We examined four distinct configurations using fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) as bare cell, copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), and highly p-doped silicon wafers as counter electrodes. The results indicate that the PSCs with Cu achieved the highest short-circuit current density (${{J}_{SC}}$) of 17.11 mA/cm², while the p-doped silicon and aluminum showed lower ${{J}_{SC}}$ values of 16.19 mA/cm² and 16.51 mA/cm², respectively. Open-circuit voltage (${{V}_{OC}}$) values remained competitive across all cells, with FTO achieving a ${{V}_{OC}}$ of 0.98 V. Additionally, the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) was highest for Cu at 11.98%, while p-doped silicon achieved a PCE of 11.05%. Notably, the hysteresis index was consistent across all configurations, averaging around 15% to 16%. This comprehensive analysis contributes valuable insights toward developing high-efficiency, CMOS-compatible perovskite solar cells for integration into self-powered lab-on-chip systems.