Snaith group

Abstract:

Inside Front Cover
In article number 2300095, Hesjedal and co-workers demonstrate that the substitution of Co2+ ions into the halide perovskite imparts magnetic behavior to the material while maintaining photovoltaic performance. We utilize the Co2+ ions (shown as robots) themselves as probes to sense the local electronic environment of lead in the perovskite, thereby opening the substitution gateway for developing novel functional perovskite materials and devices for future technologies.

Abstract:

Mixed lead-tin (Pb:Sn) halide perovskites are promising absorbers with narrow-bandgaps (1.25–1.4 eV) suitable for high-efficiency all-perovskite tandem solar cells. However, solution processing of optimally thick Pb:Sn perovskite films is notoriously difficult in comparison with their neat-Pb counterparts. This is partly due to the rapid crystallization of Sn-based perovskites, resulting in films that have a high degree of roughness. Rougher films are harder to coat conformally with subsequent layers using solution-based processing techniques leading to contact between the absorber and the top metal electrode in completed devices, resulting in a loss of VOC, fill factor, efficiency, and stability. Herein, this study employs a non-continuous layer of alumina nanoparticles distributed on the surface of rough Pb:Sn perovskite films. Using this approach, the conformality of the subsequent electron-transport layer, which is only tens of nanometres in thickness is improved. The overall maximum-power-point-tracked efficiency improves by 65% and the steady-state VOC improves by 28%. Application of the alumina nanoparticles as an interfacial buffer layer also results in highly reproducible Pb:Sn solar cell devices while simultaneously improving device stability at 65 °C under full spectrum simulated solar irradiance. Aged devices show a six-fold improvement in stability over pristine Pb:Sn devices, increasing their lifetime to 120 h.