Effect of antisolvent application time on CH3NH3PbI3 solar cells in ambient atmosphere

Abstract

Antisolvent treatment during spin coating is commonly used in high-efficiency perovskite manufacturing. However, there is no clear treatment standard owing to the wide range of antisolvent types and application methods. In this study, we reported a simple yet critical antisolvent treatment effect for fabricating high-quality perovskite solar cells in an ambient atmosphere. The optimized application of antisolvent ensured the deposition of pinhole-free, high-quality perovskite films. Furthermore, an excessive antisolvent application time led to morphological changes and formation of defects in the perovskite film, thereby affecting grain growth and resulting in severe deterioration of the film's optical properties. In addition, an excessive number of pinholes hindered efficient electron transport owing to increased carrier lifetimes. The optimal application time was 0.60 s for the ethyl acetate antisolvent. The results provided a good baseline for enhancing the spin coating process for fabricating high-quality perovskite using other antisolvents in ambient conditions.