Tin dioxide prepared by a new method improves the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells

In this study, a novel and efficient method is employed to fabricate tin dioxide films through the thermal decomposition of Sn(OH)₄ in a glove box environment. Initially, SnCl₂ was dissolved in ethanol at various concentrations and then annealed in glove box, very little Sn(OH)₄ was obtained due to the easy decomposition of ethanol at room temperature, and none of the SnO₂ was observed. The formation of SnO₂ appeared on the films after SnCl₂ in ethanol treatment and annealed in air, but this process leads to the decomposition of perovskite. Therefore, a new method need to be proposed so as to prepare SnO₂ in glove box. To address this issue, SnCl₂ was then dissolved in isopropanol and annealed inside the glove box. The SnO₂ films processed with isopropanol as a solvent exhibited better crystallinity, higher purity, improved conductivity, and fewer defects. Furthermore, devices fabricated using SnO₂ films prepared with isopropanol also show good efficiency and stability.