Improving Germanium Halide Perovskite Solar Cells: Insights from SCAPS Simulation Analysis Compared to Experimental Data

Abstract

Previously, various approaches and methods have been developed for the construction of high performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The lead (Pb)-based PSCs demonstrated excellent performance but suffers from low stability and presence of toxic Pb. Thus, a rapid surge in the development of Pb free PSCs has been observed. Recently, various Pb free elements such as germanium (Ge), bismuth, tin and antimony based materials were adopted as absorber materials. Among these, Ge halide based absorber materials have received significant attention for the development of Pb free PSCs. Despite the exceptional optoelectronic properties of Ge-based perovskite structures, the efficiency of resulting PSCs remains lower compared to their Pb-based PSCs. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the simulation studies of PSCs using solar cell capacitance simulation-one dimensional (SCAPS-1D) method. Numerous reports have emerged from different research groups simulating various Ge-based PSCs via SCAPS-1D. These simulation studies have shown promise in aiding the development of Pb-free PSCs. In this mini-review, previously reported literature on Ge-based PSCs for experimental studies and simulation studies via SCAPS-1D had been amassed. We believe that present mini review article will attract scientific researchers engaged in experimental and theoretical investigations of Ge-based PSCs. © 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.