Numerical analysis and Investigation of the compatibility of kesterite hole transport layers with MASnI3 perovskite solar cells

This study focuses on the design, performance optimization, and comparative analysis of MASnI 3 -based solar cells with various quaternary kesterite hole transport layers (HTLs). The influence of key parameters, such as absorber thickness, acceptor concentration, defect density, interface defect density, as well as transport layer thickness and carrier concentration, on device performance was systematically optimized using SCAPS-1D simulation software. Furthermore, the study also investigates the effect of operating temperature within the 300–500 K range, series resistance, and shunt resistance from 0 to 30 Ω cm 2 and 1000–10000 Ω cm 2 , respectively. Among the configurations, the CZTS-based HTL had the maximum efficiency due to its excellent energy level alignment and effective carrier extraction capability. The optimized parameters yield remarkable results, that is, the open-circuit voltage ( V oc ) of 1.07 V, short-circuit current ( J sc ) of 33.57 mA/cm 2 , fill factor (FF) of 82.92%, and the photoconversion efficiency (PCE) of 30%. These findings show the potential of CZTS as a promising and abundant HTL for improving the performance of lead-free perovskite solar cells.