Towards Sustainable Photovoltaics—The Impact of Substituting ITO with AZO on Perovskite Solar Cells

This oral presentation will underscore the potential of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) layers (deposited by pulsed laser deposition) as a substitute for indium tin oxide (ITO) in high-performing, stable, state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The presentation will highlight the relevance of advanced synthesis and processing techniques, detailed characterization methods, and interfacial engineering in developing sustainable transparent conductive oxide (TCO) alternatives.<br/>AZO presents several advantages over ITO, including cost-effectiveness, higher abundance, thermal resilience, and lower toxicity. Despite these benefits, its application in PSCs remains underexplored. This work demonstrates the enhancement of AZO properties such as transparency, conductivity, and stability, with a focus on low-energy deposition methods compatible with organic materials. Utilizing PLD, we successfully produced AZO films with optimized morphological, electrical, and optical characteristics. These films were evaluated in perovskite solar cells across three different device architectures: superstrate, substrate, and semitransparent/bifacial configurations, all fabricated using scalable vacuum-processed techniques. A significant correlation between PLD chamber pressure and solar cell efficiency was identified, with AZO-based cells achieving power conversion efficiencies and stabilities comparable to the archetypal TCO, ITO. By improving charge carrier dynamics and addressing degradation processes, this presentation aims to contribute to the broader adoption of hybrid perovskite technologies in more-sustainable photovoltaic applications.