Investigation of perovskite solar cell temperature-dependent performance: a coupled opto-electro-thermal modeling approach

In this paper, we developed a opto-electro-thermal model using the 3D finite element method (FEM) in order to assess the temperature-dependent performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The FEM-based model we developed is fully coupled, allowing us to model the optical absorption, charge transport, and heat generation processes all at once, which will provide a more precise evaluation of device performance. Four perovskite absorber materials (MASnI₃, MAPbI₃, CsPbI₃, and CsSnI₃) were evaluated based on three heat generation mechanisms: Joule heating, non-radiative recombination, and thermalization. Based on the proposed model, the extent of temperature rise within the device and its impact on device performance-primarily open-circuit voltage (Voc) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) are assessed. The simulation results show that the temperature-dependent performance of the PSC, varies according to the absorption layer material, as each type of absorber showed unique thermal behavior. In particular, CsSnI₃ exhibited notable temperature-dependent performance under thermal coupling, with a Voc reduction of only 2.38% and a PCE variation of 9.12%, showing a high photovoltaic response but higher temperature sensitivity under temperature variation compared to CsPbI₃.