Lead halide perovskites have attracted significant attention for their wide-ranging applications in optoelectronic devices. A ubiquitous element in these applications is that charging of the perovskite is involved, which can trigger electrochemical degradation reactions. Understanding the underlying factors governing these degradation processes is crucial for improving the stability of perovskite-based devices. For bulk semiconductors, the electrochemical decomposition potentials depend on the stabilization of atoms in the lattice-a parameter linked to the material’s solubility. For perovskite nanocrystals (NCs), electrochemical surface reactions are strongly influenced by the binding equilibrium of passivating ligands. Here, we report a spectro-electrochemical study on CsPbBr₃ NCs and bulk thin films in contact with various electrolytes, aimed at understanding the factors that control cathodic degradation. These measurements reveal that the cathodic decomposition of NCs is primarily determined by the solubility of surface ligands, with diminished cathodic degradation for NCs in high-polarity electrolyte solvents where ligand solubilities are lower. However, the solubility of the surface ligands and bulk lattice of NCs are orthogonal, such that no electrolyte could be identified where both the surface and bulk are stabilized against cathodic decomposition. This poses inherent challenges for electrochemical applications: (i) The electrochemical stability window of CsPbBr₃ NCs is constrained by the reduction potential of dissolved Pb²⁺ complexes, and (ii) cathodic decomposition occurs well before the conduction band can be populated with electrons. Our findings provide insights to enhance the electrochemical stability of perovskite thin films and NCs, emphasizing the importance of a combined selection of surface passivation and electrolyte.

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Mixed Sn-Pb halide perovskites are promising absorber materials for solar cells due to the possibility of tuning the bandgap energy down to 1.2-1.3 eV. However, tin-containing perovskites are susceptible to oxidation affecting the optoelectronic properties. In this work, we investigated qualitatively and quantitatively metastable oxygen-induced doping in isolated ASn_xPb_1-xI₃ (where A is methylammonium or a mixture of formamidinium and cesium) perovskite thin films by means of microwave conductivity, structural and optical characterization techniques. We observe that longer oxygen exposure times lead to progressively higher dark conductivities, which slowly decay back to their original levels over days. Here oxygen acts as an electron acceptor, leading to tin oxidation from Sn²⁺ to Sn⁴⁺ and creation of free holes. The metastable oxygen-induced doping is enhanced by exposing the perovskite simultaneously to oxygen and light. Next, we show that doping not only leads to the reduction in the photoconductivity signal but also induces long-term effects even after loss of doping, which is thought to derive from consecutive oxidation reactions leading to the formation of defect states. On prolonged exposure to oxygen and light, optical and structural changes can be observed and related to the formation of SnO_x and loss of iodide near the surface. Our work highlights that even a short-term exposure to oxygen immediately impairs the charge carrier dynamics of the perovskite, while structural perovskite degradation is only noticeable upon long-term exposure and accumulation of oxidation products. Hence, for efficient solar cells, exposure of mixed Sn-Pb perovskites to oxygen during production and operation should be rigorously blocked.

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The presence of defects at the interface between the perovskite film and the carrier transport layer poses significant challenges to the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Addressing this issue, we introduce a dual host-guest (DHG) complexation strategy to modulate both the bulk and interfacial properties of FAPbI₃-rich PSCs. Through NMR spectroscopy, a synergistic effect of the dual treatment is observed. Additionally, electro-optical characterizations demonstrate that the DHG strategy not only passivates defects but also enhances carrier extraction and transport. Remarkably, employing the DHG strategy yields PSCs with power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 25.89% (certified at 25.53%). Furthermore, these DHG-modified PSCs exhibit enhanced operational stability, retaining over 96.6% of their initial PCE of 25.55% after 1050 hours of continuous operation under one-sun illumination, which was the highest initial value in the recently reported articles. This work establishes a promising pathway for stabilizing high-efficiency perovskite photovoltaics through supramolecular engineering, marking a significant advancement in the field.

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To increase the open-circuit voltage in solar cells based on triple cation, mixed halide perovskites, reducing recombination processes at the interfaces with transport layers (TLs) is key. Here, we investigated the charge carrier dynamics in bilayers and trilayers of Cs_0.05MA_0.10FA_0.85Pb(I_0.97Br_0.03)₃ (CsMAFA) combined with TLs using time-resolved microwave conductance (TRMC) measurements without and with bias illumination (BI). In the bilayers, we find balanced mobilities for electrons and holes in CsMAFA and nearly quantitative carrier extraction. The small, rapidly decaying TRMC signals for n-i-p- and p-i-n triple layers indicate both carriers are extracted. Applying BI leads to the charging of the TLs and the corresponding electric field prevents additional charge extraction, which demonstrates long-lived charge separation over the CsMAFA/TLs. Most importantly, for all bilayer combinations showing long-lived charge separation, an increase of the quasi-Fermi level splitting with respect to that of the CsMAFA layer is found.

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A better understanding of the materials' fundamental physical processes is necessary to push hybrid perovskite photovoltaic devices towards their theoretical limits. The role of the perovskite grain boundaries is essential to optimise the system thoroughly. The influence of the perovskite grain size and crystal orientation on physical properties and their resulting photovoltaic performance is examined. We develop a novel, straightforward synthesis approach that yields crystals of a similar size but allows the tuning of their orientation to either the (200) or (002) facet alignment parallel to the substrate by manipulating dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and tetrahydrothiophene-1-oxide (THTO) ratios. This decouples crystal orientation from grain size, allowing the study of charge carrier mobility, found to be improved with larger grain sizes, highlighting the importance of minimising crystal disorder to achieve efficient devices. However, devices incorporating crystals with the (200) facet exhibit an s-shape in the current density-voltage curve when standard scan rates are used, which typically signals an energetic interfacial barrier. Using the drift-diffusion simulations, we attribute this to slower-moving ions (mobility of 0.37 × 10^-10 cm² V^-1 s^-1) in combination with a lower density of mobile ions. This counterintuitive result highlights that reducing ion migration does not necessarily minimise hysteresis.

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Additives are commonly used to increase the performance of metal-halide perovskite solar cells, but detailed information on the origin of the beneficial outcome is often lacking. Herein, the effect of glycine hydrochloride is investigated when used as an additive during solution processing of narrow-bandgap mixed Pb–Sn perovskites. By combining the characterization of the photovoltaic performance and stability under illumination, with determining the quasi-Fermi level splitting, time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC), and morphological and elemental analysis a comprehensive insight is obtained. Glycine hydrochloride is able to retard the oxidation of Sn2+ in the precursor solution, and at low concentrations (1–2 mol%) it improves the grain size distribution and crystallization of the perovskite, causing a smoother and more compact layer, reducing non-radiative recombination, and enhancing the lifetime of photogenerated charges. These improve the photovoltaic performance and have a positive effect on stability. By determining the quasi-Fermi level splitting on perovskite layers without and with charge transport layers it is found that glycine hydrochloride primarily improves the bulk of the perovskite layer and does not contribute significantly to passivation of the interfaces of the perovskite with either the hole or electron transport layer (ETL).@en

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.@en

At ambient conditions, rare-earth oxyhydride thin films show reversible photochromism and photoconductivity, while their mechanism and relation are still unclear. In this work, this question is explored with in situ time-resolved measurements of both optical and transport properties of Gd-based oxyhydride thin films. It is found that p-type large polaron conduction is the initial mechanism of charge transport; however, upon photo-darkening, a 10⁴-fold increase of conductivity occurs, and n-type carriers become dominant. Further, photochromism and photoconductivity are shown to originate from a single process, as indicated by the fact that the photoconductivity is exponentially proportional to the increase of optical absorption. This exponential relation, notably, cannot stem from any of the optically absorbing species thought responsible for photochromism and, therefore, suggests that their formation is accompanied by a concerted increase of negative charge carriers in the Gd oxyhydride films.

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Metal-halide perovskites deposited by wet-chemical deposition have demonstrated great potential for various electronic applications, including solar cells. A remaining question is how light-induced excess charges become distributed over such polycrystalline material. Here, we examine the local conductive properties of MAPbI₃ and CsFAPbI₃ by using scanning microwave microscopy (sMIM) in the dark and light. sMIM is an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based technique measuring variations of the in-phase and out-of-phase signals due to changes in the tip-sample interaction, yielding MIM-Re and MIM-Im images, respectively. Combining this information leads to a picture for CsFAPbI₃ in which excess charges are distributed evenly over the grains, but due to local defect-rich areas, possibly related to different crystal facets, local perturbations in carrier concentration exist. For solar cells, this distribution in carrier concentration under illumination leads to variation in the local Fermi level splitting, which should be suppressed to reduce the voltage deficit.

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The preferential orientation of the perovskite (PVK) is typically accomplished by manipulation of the mixed cation/halide composition of the solution used for wet processing. However, for PVKs grown by thermal evaporation, this has been rarely addressed. It is unclear how variation in crystal orientation affects the optoelectronic properties of thermally evaporated films, including the charge carrier mobility, lifetime, and trap densities. In this study, we use different intermediate annealing temperatures Tinter between two sequential evaporation cycles to control the Cs0.15FA0.85PbI2.85Br0.15 orientation of the final PVK layer. XRD and 2D-XRD measurements reveal that when using no intermediate annealing primarily the (110) orientation is obtained, while when using Tinter = 100 °C a nearly isotropic orientation is found. Most interestingly for Tinter > 130 °C a highly oriented PVK (100) is formed. We found that although bulk electronic properties like photoconductivity are independent of the preferential orientation, surface related properties differ substantially. The highly oriented PVK (100) exhibits improved photoluminescence in terms of yield and lifetime. In addition, high spatial resolution mappings of the contact potential difference (CPD) as measured by KPFM for the highly oriented PVK show a more homogeneous surface potential distribution than those of the nonoriented PVK. These observations suggest that a highly oriented growth of thermally evaporated PVK is preferred to improve the charge extraction at the device level.@en

Multiple-source thermal evaporation is emerging as an excellent technique to obtain perovskite (PVK) materials for solar cell applications due to its solvent-free processing, accurate control of stoichiometric ratio, and potential for scalability. Nevertheless, the currently reported layer-by-layer deposition approach is afflicted by long processing times caused by the multiple repetitions of thin films, which hinder industrial uptake. On the other hand, the coevaporation entails higher complexity due to the challenges of controlling the sublimation of multiple sources simultaneously. In this work, we propose a simplified approach consisting of a single-cycle deposition (SCD) of three thick precursor layers to obtain high-quality Cs0.15FA0.85PbI2.85Br0.15 (CsFAPbIBr) films. After annealing, the optimized PVK film exhibits comparable properties to the one deposited by multicycle deposition in terms of crystal structure, in-depth uniformity, and optoelectrical properties. Also, the formation and evolution of SCD PVK during annealing are investigated. We found that, in the competitive processes of precursor diffusion and reaction, the presence of cesium bromide can assist precursor mixing driven by the annealing treatment, demonstrating a reaction-limited process in the PVK conversion. With this simplified SCD approach, a PVK film is obtained with expected optical and opto-electronic properties, providing an appealing way for future thermally evaporated PVK device preparation.

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Perovskite-based solar cells have been rapidly developed, with record power conversion efficiencies now exceeding 25%. In order to rationally improve the efficiency of these devices, it is important to understand and quantify the dynamics of the excess charge carriers.

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State-of-the-art triple cation, mixed halide perovskites are extensively studied in perovskite solar cells, showing very promising performance and stability. However, an in-depth fundamental understanding of how the phase behavior in Cs_0.05FA_0.85MA_0.10Pb(I_0.97Br_0.03)₃ (CsMAFA) affects the optoelectronic properties is still lacking. The refined unit cell parameters a and c in combination with the thermal expansion coefficients derived from X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that CsMAFA undergoes an α–β phase transition at ≈280 K and another transition to the γ-phase at ≈180 K. From the analyses of the electrodeless microwave photoconductivity measurements it is shown that shallow traps only in the γ-phase negatively affect the charge carrier dynamics. Most importantly, CsMAFA exhibits the lowest amount of microstrain in the β-phase at around 240 K, corresponding to the lowest amount of trap density, which translates into the longest charge carrier diffusion length for electrons and holes. Below 200 K a considerable increase in deep trap states is found most likely related to the temperature-induced compressive microstrain leading to a huge imbalance in charge carrier diffusion lengths between electrons and holes. This work provides valuable insight into how temperature-dependent changes in structure affect the charge carrier dynamics in FA-rich perovskites.

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To increase the open-circuit voltage in perovskite-based solar cells, recombination processes at the interface with transport layers (TLs) should be identified and reduced. We investigated the charge carrier dynamics in bilayers of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) with C60 or Spiro-OMeTAD using time-resolved microwave conductance (TRMC) measurements with and without bias illumination (BI). By modeling the results, we quantified recombination losses in bare MAPbI3 and extraction into the TLs. Only under BI did we find that the density of deep traps increases in bare MAPbI3, substantially enhancing trap-mediated losses. This reversible process is prevented in a bilayer with C60 but not with Spiro-OMeTAD. While under BI extraction rates reduce significantly in both bilayers, only in MAPbI3/Spiro-OMeTAD does interfacial recombination also increases, substantially reducing the quasi Fermi level splitting. This work demonstrates the impact of BI on charge dynamics and shows that adjusting the Fermi level of TLs is imperative to reduce interfacial recombination losses.

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Suitable optoelectronic properties of lead halide perovskites make these materials interesting semiconductors for many applications. Toxic lead can be substituted by combining monovalent and trivalent cations, such as in Cs₂AgBiBr₆. However, efficiencies of Cs₂AgBiBr₆-based photovoltaics are still modest. To elucidate the loss mechanisms, in this report, we investigate charge dynamics in Cs₂AgBiBr₆ films by double-pulse excitation time-resolved microwave conductivity (DPE-TRMC). By exciting the sample with two laser pulses with identical wavelengths, we found a clear photoconductance enhancement induced by the second pulse even 30 μs after the first laser pulse. Modeling the DPE-TRMC results, complemented by photoluminescence and transient absorption, we reveal the presence of deep emissive electron traps, while shallow hole trapping is responsible for the long-lived transient absorption signals. These long-lived carriers offer interesting possibilities for X-ray detectors or photocatalysis. The DPE-TRMC methodology offers unique insight into the times involved in charge trapping and depopulation in Cs₂AgBiBr₆.

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Mobilities and lifetimes of photogenerated charge carriers are core properties of photovoltaic materials and can both be characterized by contactless terahertz or microwave measurements. Here, the expertise from fifteen laboratories is combined to quantitatively model the current-voltage characteristics of a solar cell from such measurements. To this end, the impact of measurement conditions, alternate interpretations, and experimental inter-laboratory variations are discussed using a (Cs,FA,MA)Pb(I,Br)₃ halide perovskite thin-film as a case study. At 1 sun equivalent excitation, neither transport nor recombination is significantly affected by exciton formation or trapping. Terahertz, microwave, and photoluminescence transients for the neat material yield consistent effective lifetimes implying a resistance-free JV-curve with a potential power conversion efficiency of 24.6 %. For grainsizes above ≈20 nm, intra-grain charge transport is characterized by terahertz sum mobilities of ≈32 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. Drift-diffusion simulations indicate that these intra-grain mobilities can slightly reduce the fill factor of perovskite solar cells to 0.82, in accordance with the best-realized devices in the literature. Beyond perovskites, this work can guide a highly predictive characterization of any emerging semiconductor for photovoltaic or photoelectrochemical energy conversion. A best practice for the interpretation of terahertz and microwave measurements on photovoltaic materials is presented.

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Since the first application of a metal halide perovskite (PVK) absorber in a solar cell, these materials have drawn a great deal of attention in the photovoltaic (PV) community, showing exceptional rapid progress in power conversion efficiency. The potential advantages of low-cost, high efficiency, easy processability, and wide range of applications make PVK solar cells (PSCs) a desirable candidate for future uptake in the PV market over traditional semiconductors such as silicon. Furthermore, PVK thin-film technology holds a concrete potential to closely approach the theoretical efficiency limit for single-junction solar cells via unique control of the optoelectronic properties. However, for a disruptive breakthrough of PVK technology from fundamental research to industry, systematic research efforts are required to unravel the poor long-term stability and to reach a reliable large area fabrication process. In this review, we examine in detail recent progress on large-scale PSCs and we discuss challenges for commercialization touching upon the following aspects: material properties, fabrication technology, and industrialization challenges. Besides, the long-term stability and efficiency of large-area PSCs as well as PVK-based two-terminal tandem devices are discussed. In addition, strategies for PSC upscaling are further studied for scalable deposition technologies. Finally, we review the most recent literature on costs and environmental assessment.@en

Co-evaporation of metal halide perovskites by thermal evaporation is an attractive method since it does not require harmful solvents and enables precise control of the film thickness. Furthermore, the ability to manipulate the Fermi level allows the formation of a graded homojunction, providing interesting opportunities to improve the charge carrier collection efficiency. However, little is known about how these properties affect the charge carrier dynamics. In this work, the structural and optoelectronic properties of co-evaporated MAPbI3 films varying in thickness (100, 400, and 750 nm) with a gradient in composition are analyzed. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that excess PbI2 is only present in the thick layers. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth analysis, the I/Pb atomic ratio indicates methylammonium iodide deficiencies that become more prominent with thicker films, resulting in differently n-doped regions across the thick MAPbI3 films. We suggest that due to these differently n-doped regimes, an internal electric field is formed. Side-selective time-resolved microwave photo conductivity measurements show an elongation of the charge carrier lifetimes on increasing thickness. These observations can be explained by the fact that excess carriers separate under the influence of the electric field, preventing rapid decay in the thick films.

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A long photoluminescence decay lifetime has been regarded as a generic indication of long charge carrier recombination lifetime in semiconductors such as metal halide perovskites (MHPs), which have shown tremendous success in solar cells. Here, we report that MHP polycrystalline films with extrinsic metal ions have a very long charge recombination lifetime, but a much shorter photoluminescence decay lifetime, and this huge difference can be explained by a model of lateral homojunction within each individual grain. The lateral homojunction is formed due to the doping along grain boundaries by metal ions, and then verified by nanoscale potential mapping and transient photo-response mapping. The built-in electric field within each grain reduces the recombination of free charge carriers within the perovskite grain and along grain boundaries, while the free electrons and holes are collected to cathode and anode through the grain boundaries and grain interiors, respectively. Then, the efficiencies of MHP polycrystalline solar cells are increased.

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Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) is a powerful technique to study the properties of semiconductors. However, the interpretation of the data can be cumbersome when non-ideal band edge absorption takes place, as is the case in the presence of potential fluctuations. In this study, PL measurements are modeled to quantify potential fluctuations in Cu (In, Ga) Se2 (CIGS) absorber layers for photovoltaic applications. Previous models have attributed these variations to either bandgap fluctuations (BGFs) or electrostatic fluctuations (EFs). In reality, these two phenomena happen simultaneously and, therefore, affect the PL together. For this, the unified potential fluctuation (UPF) model is introduced. This model incorporates the effect of both types of fluctuations on the absorptance of the material and subsequently the PL spectra. The UPF model is successfully used to fit both single- and three-stage co-evaporated ultrathin (around 500 nm) CIGS samples, showing a clear improvement with respect to the previous BGF and EF models. Some PL measurements show possible interference distortions for which an interference function is used to simultaneously correct the PL spectra of a sample measured with several laser excitation intensities. All the models used in this work are bundled into a user-friendly, open-source Python program.

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