Improve efficiency of perovskite solar cells by using Magnesium doped ZnO and TiO2 compact layers

•We investigate the possibility of using Mg-doped TiO2 as ETL in perovskite solar cell for the first time.•The effects of Mg concentration into the buffer layer were investigated.•Buffer film thickness and operating temperature have significant influence on the performance of the perovskite solar cell.

Here the effect of Magnesium doped TiO2 and ZnO as hole blocking layers (HBLs) are investigated by using solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS). The Impact of Magnesium concentration into the TiO2 and ZnO and effect of operating temperature on the performance of the perovskite solar cell are investigated. Best cell performance for both TiO2 and ZnO HBLs (with cell efficiencies of 19.86% and 19.57% respectively) are concluded for the doping level of 10% of Mg into the structure of HBLs. Increase in operating temperature from 300 K to 400 K are decreased the performance of the perovskite solar cell with both pure and Mg-doped HBLs. However, the cells with pure ZnO layer and with Zn0.9 Mg0.1O layer show the highest (with a decline of 8.88% in efficiency) and the lowest stability (with a decline of 50.49% in efficiency) at higher temperatures respectively. Moreover, the cell with Ti0.9 Mg0.1O2 layer shows better stability (with 21.85% reduction in efficiency) than the cell with pure TiO2 compact layer (with 23.28% reduction in efficiency) at higher operating temperatures.