Enhanced performance of perovskite solar cells using ZnO electron transport layer prepared under simultaneous UV irradiation and magnetic field

In this study, we present a novel approach to improve the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by exploring the synergistic effects of ultraviolet (UV) light and magnetic field (MF) exposure on the properties of ZnO thin films. These films serve as the electron transport layer (ETL) in PSCs. The ZnO thin were synthesized via a dip coating method. During the deposition process, the films were subjected to UV light (ZnO:UV), magnetic field (ZnO:MF), and a combination of UV and MF (ZnO:(UV + MF)) treatments. Our findings demonstrate that the ZnO:(UV + MF) film has an average transparency of 92% in the visible region, a high degree of crystallinity, and a broadened optical bandgap (3.69 eV). The current density–voltage characteristics of the four fabricated devices, using the untreated and treated ZnO thin films as ETLs, revealed an efficiency of approximately 10.80% when using ZnO:(UV + MF) as the ETL, surpassing the efficiency of 7.31% observed for the device with untreated ZnO ETL.