Mitigation of Exciton Quenching Sites in All-Metal-Oxide-Based Transparent Photovoltaic

Transparent photovoltaic (TPV) devices offer the potential to generate power without being visible to the human eye, making them ideal for use in building integrated photovoltaic applications. TPV devices based on inorganic materials offer eco-friendly frameworks with stable performances. However, their low power conversion efficiency and incapacity to produce onsite power for real-time practical applications limit their widespread deployment. Mitigation of exciton quenching by reducing the interface and bulk recombination can significantly improve the performance of TPVs. To address this, the present study investigates the effect of passivation layers (PLs) in all-metal-oxide TiO₂/Cu₂O TPV. The TiO₂/Cu₂O TPV interface is passivated by depositing thin Al₂O₃ and Ga₂O₃ films. The study comprehensively analyzes how passivation controls the interfacial and bulk defects. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used to elucidate exciton quenching mechanisms. The results show that the insertion of a thin PL on top of TiO₂ effectively mitigates exciton quenching by suppressing hydroxyl ions, Ti²⁺, and Ti³⁺ bulk states. Ga₂O₃ PL, in particular, leads to a substantial enhancement in short-circuit current density (12.4 mA cm⁻²) and open-circuit voltage (669 mV). The study also demonstrates the real-time onsite energy production and its utilization through the operation of an electric fan.