Prof Henry Snaith FRS

Abstract:

Amorphous TiO2 and SnO2 electron transport layers (ETLs) were deposited by low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD). Surface morphology and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate uniform and pinhole free coverage of these ALD hole blocking layers. Both mesoporous and planar perovskite solar cells were fabricated based on these thin films with aperture areas of 1.04 cm2 for TiO2 and 0.09 cm2 and 0.70 cm2 for SnO2. The resulting cell performance of 18.3 % power conversion efficiency (PCE) using planar SnO2 on 0.09 cm2 and 15.3 % PCE using mesoporous TiO2 on 1.04 cm2 active areas are discussed in conjunction with the significance of growth parameters and ETL composition.

Abstract:

The highest power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) reported for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with inverted planar structures are still inferior to those of PSCs with regular structures, mainly because of lower open-circuit voltages (Voc). Here we report a strategy to reduce nonradiative recombination for the inverted devices, based on a simple solution-processed secondary growth technique. This approach produces a wider bandgap top layer and a more n-type perovskite film, which mitigates nonradiative recombination, leading to an increase in Voc by up to 100 millivolts. We achieved a high Voc of 1.21 volts without sacrificing photocurrent, corresponding to a voltage deficit of 0.41 volts at a bandgap of 1.62 electron volts. This improvement led to a stabilized power output approaching 21% at the maximum power point.

Abstract:

Room-temperature films of black-phase caesium lead iodide (CsPbI3) are widely thought to be trapped in a cubic perovskite polymorph. Here, we challenge this assumption. We present structural refinement of room temperature black-phase CsPbI3 in an orthorhombic polymorph. We demonstrate that this polymorph is adopted by both powders and thin-films of black-phase CsPbI3, fabricated either by high- or low-temperature processes. We perform electronic band structure calculations for the orthorhombic polymorph and find agreement with experimental data and close similarities with orthorhombic methylammonium lead iodide. We investigate the structural transitions and thermodynamic stability of the various polymorphs of CsPbI3, and show that the orthorhombic polymorph is the most stable among its other perovskite polymorphs, but it remains less stable than the yellow non-perovskite polymorph.