Efficiency boost of inverted polymer solar cells using electrodeposited n-type Cu<sub>2</sub>O electrons selective transport layers (ESTLs)

Polymer solar cells (PSCs) have attracted tremendous interest as suitable candidates for harnessing energy in the recent years. The inherent optoelectronic properties of inorganic transition metal oxide, negative type cuprous oxide (n-Cu2O), makes it an attractive candidate to improve performance PSCs when incorporated electron selective transport layers (ESTLs) device. In this study, inverted were fabricated on stainless steel (SS) substrates with n-Cu2O ESTL. films prepared by electrodeposition method, followed annealing under ambient conditions. active layer material was bulk heterojunction blend using regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Poly-(4,3-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulphonate) (PEDOT:PSS) used hole (HTL) final device structure SS/n-Cu2O/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS/Au. Annealing ESTL air optimized observing photoactive Optoelectronic devices characterized spectral response dark light current-voltage (I-V) measurements. ESTL- absorbed more photons short wavelength region 450‒600 nm due reduction electron-hole recombination. significantly increased after incorporating pre-annealed at 175 °C 30 min air. maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) 0.35%.