Indium tin oxide (ITO)-free, top-illuminated, flexible perovskite solar cells

Abstract

Flexible and light-weight photovoltaics are desirable for applications that involve their integration with flexible electronics. In this study, we demonstrate efficient flexible perovskite solar cells with a novel device architecture (that is indium-tin-oxide (ITO) free and top-illuminated) using a low-temperature processed doped fullerene as the electron-transporting layer. Silver is used as the bottom electrode, and a transparent conducting polymer electrode is used as the top electrode for light illuminating through to the active layer. Stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (SDBAC)-doped [6,6]-phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₁BM) was the electron-transporting layer wherein SDBAC could enhance the conductivity by three orders of magnitude and therefore enhance the solar cell performance. The ITO-free flexible perovskite solar cells display power conversion efficiency of 11.8% on a polyethersulfone substrate and can maintain 84% of the initial PCE after 1000 bending cycles at a bending radius of 6 mm.