Prof Henry Snaith FRS

Abstract:

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) for space applications have garnered significant attention due to their high tolerance to proton radiation. While the self-healing mechanism of PSCs is largely attributed to mobile inorganic halide ions, the effects of radiation on organic A-site cations remain underexplored. In this study, wide-band-gap Cs/formamidinium (FA) PSCs, which are promising for tandem applications in space environments, were subjected to harsh proton radiation testing. Photovoltaic (PV) device parameters of the PSCs measured pre- and post-irradiation demonstrated that propane-1,3-diammonium iodide (PDAI2) treatment effectively mitigates radiation-induced damage to the perovskite layer. Advanced characterization techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling using femtosecond laser ablation (fs-LA) and time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-ERDA), were employed to analyze the impact of proton radiation on A-site organic cations. Additionally, time-resolved Kelvin probe force microscopy (tr-KPFM) was utilized to elucidate the mechanism by which PDAI2 treatment mitigates proton-induced damage to the organic cations.

Abstract:

We show that the use of 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP) as a chemical modifier at the perovskite/electron-transport layer (ETL) interface enhances the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.7 eV band gap mixed-halide perovskite containing formamidinium and Cs single-junction cells, primarily by increasing the open-circuit voltage (VOC) from 1.06 to 1.15 V. We find that adding a postprocessing annealing step after C60 evaporation further improves device performance. Specifically, the fill factor (FF) increases by 20% in the DAP + postannealing devices compared to the control. Using hyperspectral photoluminescence microscopy, we demonstrate that annealing helps improve compositional homogeneity at the electron-transport layer (ETL) and hole-transport layer (HTL) interfaces of the solar cell, which prevents detrimental band gap pinning in the devices and improves C60 adhesion. Using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, we show that DAP reacts with formamidinium (FA+) present at the surface of the perovskite structure to form a larger molecular cation, 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidinium (THP+), which remains at the interface. Combining the use of DAP and annealing the C60 interface, we fabricate Si-perovskite tandems with a PCE of 25.29%, compared to 23.26% for control devices. Our study underscores the critical role of the chemical reactivity of diamines at the surface and the thermal postprocessing of the C60/Lewis-base passivator interface in minimizing device losses and enhancing solar-cell performance of wide-band-gap mixed-cation mixed-halide perovskites for tandem applications.

Abstract:

Thanks to their superior bandgap tunability and high absorption coefficient, metal halide perovskites demonstrate high potential for fabricating multijunction photovoltaics capable of achieving power conversion efficiencies surpassing the radiative efficiency limit of single-junction solar cells[1],[2]. One of the key challenges currently facing all-perovskite multijunction photovoltaics is the low quality of the narrow bandgap (~1.25 eV) mixed tin-lead perovskite films used as the rear absorber. At this conference, we will present our recent investigations on the mixed tin−lead perovskites covering the control of the Sn(II) oxidation[3], interface carrier extraction[4], and in-situ surface reaction[5], as well as the understanding of the solution chemistry and resultant crystallization[6], aiming to generate a global picture toward the comprehensive understanding of this material and its photovoltaic devices. As a result, we have obtained efficiencies of over 23.9% for the single-junction tin−lead perovskite devices, with an open circuit voltage of up to 0.91 V. Building on optimizations of neat lead perovskites, we then showcase the successful integration of these improved mixed tin-lead perovskites into double-, triple-, and quadruple-junction tandem solar cells, achieving efficiencies exceeding 29%, 28%, and 27%, respectively. In addition, we will propose promising strategies for enhancing the light and temperature stability of the involved perovskite subcells, aiming to improve the reliability of efficient all-perovskite multijunction photovoltaics. Furthermore, we will also share insights and recent progress achieved in perovskite-on-silicon multijunction cells.