Incorporating C60 as Nucleation Sites Optimizing PbI2 Films To Achieve Perovskite Solar Cells Showing Excellent Efficiency and Stability via Vapor-Assisted Deposition Method

Advanced Optoelectronic Modeling and Optimization of HTL-Free FASnI3/C60 Perovskite Solar Cell Architecture for Superior Performance

In this study, a novel perovskite solar cell (PSC) architecture is presented that utilizes an HTL-free configuration with formamide tin iodide (FASnI3) as the active layer and fullerene (C60) as the electron transport layer (ETL), which represents a pioneering approach within the field. The elimination of hole transport layers (HTLs) reduces complexity and cost in PSC heterojunction structures, resulting in a simplified and more cost-effective PSC structure. In this context, an HTL-free tin HC(NH2)2SnI3-based PSC was simulated using the solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS) within a one-dimensional framework. Through this approach, the device performance of this novel HTL-free FASnI3-based PSC structure was engineered and evaluated. Key performance parameters, including the open-circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current density (Jsc), fill factor (FF), power conversion efficiency (PCE), I-V characteristics, and quantum efficiency (QE), were systematically assessed through the modulation of physical parameters across various layers of the device. A preliminary analysis indicated that the HTL-free configuration exhibited improved I-V characteristics, with a PCE increase of 1.93% over the HTL configuration due to improved electron and hole extraction characteristics, reduced current leakage at the back contact, and reduced trap-induced interfacial recombination. An additional boost to the device's key performance parameters has been achieved through the further optimization of several physical parameters, such as active layer thickness, bulk and interface defects, ETL thickness, carrier concentration, and back-contact materials. For instance, increasing the thickness of the active layer PSC up to 1500 nm revealed enhanced PV performance parameters; however, further increases in thickness have resulted in performance saturation due to an increased rate of hole-electron recombination. Moreover, a comprehensive correlation study has been conducted to determine the optimum thickness and donor doping level for the C60-ETL layer in the range of 10-200 nm and 1012-1019 cm-3, respectively. Optimum device performance was observed at an ETL-C60 ultra-thin thickness of 10 nm and a carrier concentration of 1019 cm-3. To maintain improved PCEs, bulk and interface defects must be less than 1016 cm-3 and 1015 cm-3, respectively. Additional device performance improvement was achieved with a back-contact work function of 5 eV. The optimized HTL-free FASnI3 structure demonstrated exceptional photovoltaic performance with a PCE of 19.63%, Voc of 0.87 V, Jsc of 27.86 mA/cm2, and FF of 81%. These findings highlight the potential for highly efficient photovoltaic (PV) technology solutions based on lead-free perovskite solar cell (PSC) structures that contribute to environmental remediation and cost-effectiveness.

Fabrication of pyramidal (111) MAPbBr3 film with low surface defect density using homogeneous quantum-dot seeds

Nucleation and seeding of organometal halide perovskite (OHP) films have been extensively investigated for forming high-density, large-crystalline, and low-defect films. In this study, CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3) films with a low defect density are synthesized via a molecular exchange mechanism using MAPbBr3 quantum dots as seeds. The synthesized films exhibit a pyramidal morphology with a (111) crystal plane. The distribution of the (111) plane is controlled by adjusting the seed concentration. The pyramidal MAPbBr3 films exhibit improved photoluminescence intensity and uniformity compared with films produced using seedless toluene. When the seeds are employed, the surface trap density is reduced by a factor of 3.5, suppressing the photocurrent hysteresis and nonsaturated response of photodetectors. Additionally, the films formed using the seeds have improved stability owing to the chain decomposition reaction induced by electron beam heating.

Spin-Coated CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ Film Consisting of Micron-Scale Single Crystals Assisted with a Benzophenone Crystallizing Agent and Its Application in Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes

Owing to the superior properties of optical and electronic properties, perovskite single crystals have been in high demand recently. However, the growth of large-sized single crystals requires several processing steps and a long growth time, which engenders great difficulties in device integration. Herein, benzophenone (BP) was firstly introduced as a crystallizing agent to facilitate the construction of a high-quality CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ (MAPbBr₃) film consisting of micron-scale single crystals in a one-step spin-coating method. We studied the influence of the BP concentration upon the size and shape of the micron-scale single crystals. Moreover, due to the enhanced morphology of the MAPbBr₃ film with low-defect micron-scale single crystals, perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have been demonstrated with a maximum luminance of 1057.6 cd/m² and a turn-on voltage as low as 2.25 V. This approach not only proposes a concise and highly repeatable method for the formation of micron-scale perovskite single crystals, but also paves a way for the realization of efficient PeLEDs.

Reducing the Universal "Coffee-Ring Effect" by a Vapor-Assisted Spraying Method for High-Efficiency CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells

Organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are one of the most attractive and efficient burgeoning thin-film photovoltaics. The perovskite films have been fabricated via lots of deposition methods, but these laboratory-based fabrication methods are not well-matched with large-area manufacture. Herein, spray coating as a deposition technique was explored to prepare perovskite films and break the bottleneck that plagued large-scale production. However, it is hard to reduce the notorious "coffee-ring effect" during the process of spraying perovskite films especially in a one-step spraying method. Thus, the vapor-assisted spraying method (VASM), namely, fabricating perovskite films through a vapor-solid in situ reaction between CH₃NH₃I vapor and sprayed PbI₂ films, was creatively applied to the preparation of dense and uniform perovskite films. The surfaces of the sprayed PbI₂ films were optimized by adjusting the wettability, viscosity, and contact quality via various methods such as the selection of solvent, solution concentration, and substrate temperature to inhibit the capillary flow and release the pinning contact line. The application of a component solvent could effectively crush the dense structure of the PbI₂ film, optimizing the morphology of PbI₂ films and reducing the influence of the coffee-ring effect. Integrating the above aspects, the optimized PbI₂ films could form uniform perovskite films via an in situ reaction, and a best power conversion efficiency of 17.56% was achieved for planar structure PSCs, which is high among the PSCs fabricated by the spraying method. In addition, the VASM could be applied in the actual conditions for mass production, exhibiting excellent optical and electrical properties and paving the way of the commercialization of PSCs.