Performance of Cu-doped V2O5 thin film as a hole transport layer in perovskite-based solar cells

Abstract Herein, the performance of Cu-doped V2O5 thin film as a hole transport layer in inverted planar (p-i-n) perovskite solar cells was reported. The structural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties of Cu-doped V2O5 thin films, with varying Cu concentrations, were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis spectrophotometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), and a four-point probe system. The sheet resistance of the V2O5 hole transport layers decreased significantly with Cu doping, leading to an increase in the devices' short-circuit current, which depended on the Cu concentration in the V2O5 thin films. It was demonstrated that V2O5 thin films produced using a low-temperature process can serve as a hole transport layer in inverted planar (p-i-n) perovskite solar cells. Furthermore, Cu doping in V2O5 thin films was shown to enhance the power conversion efficiency of the devices.