All-inorganic Sn-based Perovskite Solar Cells: Status, Challenges, and Perspectives

Recently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSC) based on organic-inorganic hybrid Pb halide perovskites has reached 25.2 %. However, the toxicity of Pb has still been a main concern for the large-scale commercialization of Pb-based PSCs. Efforts have been made during the past few years to seek eco-friendly Pb-free perovskites, and it is a growing consensus that Sn is the best choice as Pb alternative over any other Pb-free metal elements. Among Sn-based perovskites, all-inorganic cells are promising candidates for PSCs owing to their more suitable bandgap, better stability, and higher charge mobility compared to the organic-inorganic hybrid counterparts. However, the poor phase stability of all-inorganic Sn-based perovskites (AISPs) and low PCE of their PSCs are most challenging in the field at present. Herein, recent developments on PSCs based on AISPs, including CsSnX₃ and Cs₂SnX₆ (X=Br, I), are comprehensively reviewed. Primarily, the intrinsic characteristics of the two AISPs are overviewed, including crystallographic property, band structure, charge carrier property, and defect property. Sequentially, state-of-the-art progress, regarding the photovoltaic application of AISPs as light absorber, is summarized. At last, current challenges and future opportunities of AISP-based PSCs are also discussed.