Review on perovskite solar cells via vacuum and non-vacuum solution based methods

A brief review on history, progress and development of perovskite solar cells fabricated via conventional solution based deposition methods and vacuum based deposition method is discussed in the present article. Working principle and functioning of layers used in perovskite based solar cells like, absorber layer, hole transporting layer, electron transporting layer, contact electrodes is discussed. Various deposition techniques are discussed for the growth of perovskite thin films to make perovskite based solar cells (PSCs) via conventional solution based techniques and vacuum based deposition techniques. Solution based methods like spin coating, spray coating, pyrolysis and dip coating is discussed and vacuum based deposition techniques like RF-magnetron sputtering, chemical vapour deposition, thermal evaporation method, physical vapour deposition, atomic layer deposition etc. is discussed. Significant improvement in efficiency has been achieved within a decade with 2.2% in 2006 to over 26% for perovskite based solar cells and by 33.9% for perovskite/Silicon tandem solar (Best Researcha; Longi claims 33). Few problems associated with these types of solar cells like stability and toxicity, and solutions to overcome these problems are also discussed briefly. Doping of perovskite and its application for self-doped perovskite solar cell and doped perovskite with silicon as heterojunction solar cell is discussed. Finally, development and prospects of perovskite based solar cells for manufacturing at industrial scale by using vacuum based techniques is discussed. [Display omitted] •Vacuum based & conventional solution based PSCs.•Recent advances in ETL, HTL, A, B, X− layers.•Problems with PSCs i.e. stability, toxicity & its solutions.•Perovskite doping & its applications.•Doped n-perovskite/p-perovskite homo/hetero-junction.