Alleviating nanostructural phase impurities enhances the optoelectronic properties, device performance and stability of cesium-formamidinium metal–halide perovskites

Alleviating nanostructural phase impurities enhances the optoelectronic properties, device performance and stability of cesium-formamidinium metal–halide perovskites

Othman, Mostafa (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
Jeangros, Quentin (CSEM)
olff, Christian M. W (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
Futscher, Moritz H. (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa))
Zeiske, Stefan (Swansea University)
Chernyshov, Dmitry (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility)
Jenatsch, Sandra (Fluxim AG)
Zhao, J. (TU Delft ChemE/Opto-electronic Materials)
Savenije, T.J. (TU Delft ChemE/Opto-electronic Materials)
Hessler-Wyser, Aïcha (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

2024

The technique of alloying FA+ with Cs+ is often used to promote structural stabilization of the desirable α-FAPbI3 phase in halide perovskite devices. However, the precise mechanisms by which these alloying approaches improve the optoelectronic quality and enhance the stability have remained elusive. In this study, we advance that understanding by investigating the effect of cationic alloying in CsxFA1−xPbI3 perovskite thin-films and solar-cell devices. Selected-area electron diffraction patterns combined with microwave conductivity measurements reveal that fine Cs+ tuning (Cs0.15FA0.85PbI3) leads to a minimization of stacking faults and an increase in the photoconductivity of the perovskite films. Ultra-sensitive external quantum efficiency, kelvin-probe force microscopy and photoluminescence quantum yield measurements demonstrate similar Urbach energy values, comparable surface potential fluctuations and marginal impact on radiative emission yields, respectively, irrespective of Cs content. Despite this, these nanoscopic defects appear to have a detrimental impact on inter-grains’/domains’ carrier transport, as evidenced by conductive-atomic force microscopy and corroborated by drastically reduced solar cell performance. Importantly, encapsulated Cs0.15FA0.85PbI3 devices show robust operational stability retaining 85% of the initial steady-state power conversion efficiency for 1400 hours under continuous 1 sun illumination at 35 °C, in open-circuit conditions. Our findings provide nuance to the famous defect tolerance of halide perovskites while providing solid evidence about the detrimental impact of these subtle structural imperfections on the long-term operational stability.

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:e8f39a1f-8fb4-41a3-b18a-6587b2eba189

https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EE00901K

1754-5692

Energy & Environmental Science

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2024 Mostafa Othman, Quentin Jeangros, Christian M. W olff, Moritz H. Futscher, Stefan Zeiske, Dmitry Chernyshov, Sandra Jenatsch, J. Zhao, T.J. Savenije, Aïcha Hessler-Wyser, More Authors