Enhancing stability and efficiency in perovskite solar cells: insights into inorganic HTL deposition and interface defect passivation

Publication Type

Journal Article

Name of Author

• Daniel I Amune, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected]Follow
• W Fidel, CEMHTI-CNRS, Site Cyclotron, Orle´ans, France
• R. K Koech, Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computing, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
• Dahiru Sanni, Department of Theoretical and Applied Physics, African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria.
• J Botsoa, CEMHTI-CNRS, Site Cyclotron, Orle´ans, France
• V Anye, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria.
• E Nstoenzok, CEMHTI-CNRS, Site Cyclotron, Orle´ans, France

Publication Date (Issue Year)

2026

Journal Name

Energy Advances

Abstract

The perovskite solar cell (PSC) as an emerging and promising type of solar cell has been extensively studied, but instability is still a major challenge. Replacing the hygroscopic organic hole transport layer (HTL) in PSCs can result in an improvement in the device stability. However, it is still difficult to deposit inorganic HTLs onto the underlying perovskite layer without eroding or distorting it in the regular n–i–p architecture, thereby inducing defects at the interface and reducing the performance of the device. In this study, the performance of PSCs with an inorganic HTL is modelled using SCAPS-1D. The perovskiteHTL interface defect density was varied from 1.0 1012 to 1.0 1020 cm3 . We realized that, for PSCs based on some hole transport materials (HTMs), the effect of interface defect density was not significant. We observed that the HTL/perovskite valence band offset (VBO) plays a significant role in the phenomenon observed. In particular, a zero or slightly positive VBO results in an increase in both the defect tolerance and device efficiency. This information provides insights into the fabrication of PSCs with improved interface defect passivation and also enables the fabrication of perovskite solar cells based on physically deposited inorganic charge transport materials.

Keywords

perovskite solar cells, insights, inorganic HTL deposition, interface defect passivation

Rsif Scholar Name

Daniel Amune

Rsif Scholar Nationality

Nigeria

Cohort

Cohort 3

Thematic Area

Minerals, Mining and Materials Engineering

Africa Host University (AHU)

African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Nigeria

Funding Statement

Funding from PASET – Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund and JIRA project 

Recommended Citation

Amune, D., Fidel, W., Koech, R., Sanni, D., Botsoa, J., Anye, V., & Nstoenzok, E. (2026). Enhancing stability and efficiency in perovskite solar cells: insights into inorganic HTL deposition and interface defect passivation. Energy Advances, 5 (5), 741-753. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ya00353a