Studying the effect of ambient temperature variations on perovskite precursor film formation using different antisolvents

Abstract

This study investigates the sensitivity of two antisolvents to ambient temperature fluctuations during the fabrication of triple-cation perovskite thin films. Chlorobenzene (CB) and ethyl acetate (EA) were employed as antisolvents in the preparation of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) under identical ambient temperature variation conditions. The experimental results reveal that the quality of the perovskite films does not exhibit a consistent trend in response to ambient temperature changes depending on the antisolvent used. When CB was used as the antisolvent, the highest-performing device, produced at an ambient temperature of 18 °C, achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.9 %. In contrast, when EA was employed as the antisolvent, the highest-performing device was fabricated at 25 °C, reaching a PCE of 20.5 %. Furthermore, when the ambient temperature exceeded 30 °C, all films prepared with either antisolvent exhibited significant cracking, indicating that elevated temperatures adversely affect perovskite film formation. To further investigate the mechanism through which ambient temperature affects the film-forming process, antisolvents at varying temperatures were used during perovskite film preparation to simulate transient temperature increases during formation. This study reveals that the impact of ambient temperature variations on perovskite film formation does not exhibit a uniform trend but is significantly influenced by the choice of antisolvent. Moreover, this work offers valuable insights for optimizing the fabrication of high-quality perovskite thin films.