Fabrication Of Perovskite Solar Cells Research Articles

Optoelectronic Enhancement of Perovskite Solar Cells through the Incorporation of Plasmonic Particles.

The optoelectronic advantages of anchoring plasmonic silver and copper particles and non-plasmonic titanium particles onto zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflower (NF) scaffolds for the fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are addressed in this article. The metallic particles were sputter-deposited as a function of sputtering time to vary their size on solution-grown ZnO NFs on which methylammonium lead iodide perovskite was crystallized in a controlled environment. Optical absorption measurements showed impressive improvements in the light-harvesting efficiency (LHE) of the devices using silver nanoparticles and some concentrations of copper, whereas the LHE was relatively lower in devices used titanium than in a control device without any metallic particles. Fully functional PSCs were fabricated using the plasmonic and non-plasmonic metallic film-decorated ZnO NFs. Several fold enhancements in photoconversion efficiency were achieved in the silver-containing devices compared with the control device, which was accompanied by an increase in the photocurrent density, photovoltage, and fill factor. To understand the plasmonic effects in the photoanode, the LHE, photo-current density, photovoltage, photoluminescence, incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency, and electrochemical impedance properties were thoroughly investigated. This research showcases the efficacy of the addition of plasmonic particles onto photo anodes, which leads to improved light scattering, better charge separation, and reduced electron–hole recombination rate.

Annealing Engineering in the Growth of Perovskite Grains

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are a promising and fast-growing type of photovoltaic cell due to their low cost and high conversion efficiency. The high efficiency of PSCs is closely related to the quality of the photosensitive layer, and the high-quality light absorbing layer depends on the growth condition of the crystals. In the formation of high-quality crystals, annealing is an indispensable and crucial part, which serves to evaporate the solvent and drive the crystallization of the film. Various annealing methods have different effects on the promotion of the film growth process owing to the way they work. Here, this review will present a discussion of the growth puzzles and quality of perovskite crystals under different driving forces, and then explain the relationship between the annealing driving force and crystal growth. We divided the main current annealing methods into physical and chemical annealing, which has never been summarized before. The main annealing methods currently reported for crystal growth are summarized to visualize the impact of annealing design strategies on photovoltaic performance, while the growth mechanisms of thin films under multiple annealing methods are also discussed. Finally, we suggest future perspectives and trends in the industrial fabrication of PSCs in the future. The review promises industrial manufacturing of annealed PSCs. The review is expected to facilitate the industrial fabrication of PSCs.

Dual-Resistance of Ion Migration and Moisture Erosion via Hydrolytic Crosslinking of Siloxane Functionalized Poly(Ionic Liquids) for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Dual-Resistance of Ion Migration and Moisture Erosion via Hydrolytic Crosslinking of Siloxane Functionalized Poly(Ionic Liquids) for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

When Aggregation-Induced Emission Meets Perovskites: Efficient Defect-Passivation and Charge-Transfer for Ambient Fabrication of Perovskite Solar Cells.

The intrinsic defects in perovskite film can serve as non-radiative recombination center to limit the performance and stability of metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The additive engineering in perovskite film is always applied to produce high-efficiency PSCs in recent years. Here, a typical donor-acceptor (D-A) structured aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecule tetraphenylethene-2-dicyano-methylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (TPE-TCF) was introduced into perovskite film. The D-A structure of TPE-TCF molecule provided additional charge transfer channels, contributing to transporting electron of TPE-TCF-based device. The cyano (C≡N) of TPE-TCF can interact with the uncoordinated Pb to from a relatively stable intermediate, PbI2 ⋅TPE-TCF, resulting in the slower crystal growth, reduced the defects at the grain boundaries and suppressed carrier recombination. As a consequence, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of TPE-TCF-modified PSCs achieved a remarkably enhanced from 15.63 to 19.66 % with negligible hysteresis, which was prominent in methylammonium lead iodide-based devices fabricated under ambient condition. Furthermore, the PSCs modified by AIE molecule possessed an outstanding stability and maintain about 86 % of the initial PCE after 300 h storage in air at 25-35 °C with a high relative humidity (RH) of ≈85 %. This work suggests that incorporating AIE molecule into perovskite is a promising strategy for facilitating high-performance PSCs commercialization in ambient environment without glovebox.

Fluorinated copper phthalocyanine as an electron transport material in perovskite solar cell

The state-of-art charge transport materials, TiO2 and Spiro-OMeTAD suffer from various drawbacks such as instability, lengthy fabrication procedure and low charge mobilities. In this paper, we have studied copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and halogen-substituted copper phthalocyanine (X16CuPc; X = F, Cl, Br, I) through density functional theory (DFT) and determined their ground state properties, excited state properties and solubility in DMSO (widely used solvent in the fabrication of perovskite solar cell [PSC]). We have shown that fluorinated copper phthalocyanine(F16CuPc) acts as an electron transport layer (ETL) and CuPc acts as a hole transport layer (HTL) in MAPbI3-based PSC. The moisture stability of CuPc and F16CuPc has been established and it has been shown that CuPc and F16CuPc will protect the perovskite layer from degradation due to the presence of moisture in the surroundings. Using the properties obtained via DFT, PSC has been simulated using SCAPS, and it is established that CuPc as hole transport material and F16CuPc as electron transport material gives better efficiency compared with the state of art charge transport materials (TiO2 and Spiro-OMeTAD). The device has been optimized with respect to (w.r.t.) thickness, doping concentration, defect density and interface defect density. We have studied the effect of series resistance, shunt resistance and temperature on the performance of PSC and this configuration has shown good thermal stability. Carbon has been proposed as an alternative to gold as the back contact thereby making our device more economical. The optimized device showed quantum efficiency of (81.59% to 98.69%) in the visible region. A fill factor of 79.01%, power conversion efficiency of 22.30% has been obtained.

Manipulation of Crystallization Kinetics for Perovskite Photovoltaics Prepared Using Two-Step Method

Two-step fabricated perovskite solar cells have attracted considerable attention because of their good reproducibility and controllable crystallization during production. Optimizing the quality of perovskite films plays a decisive role in realizing superb performance via a two-step method. Many breakthroughs have been achieved to obtain high-quality film from the perspective of manipulating crystallization kinetics in the two-step preparation process, which promotes the rapid development of perovskite photovoltaics. Therefore, focusing on the crystallization process in the two-step preparation process can provide a reliable basis for optimizing the performance of two-step devices. In this review, recent progress on regulating the crystallization process for two-step PSCs is systematically reviewed. Firstly, a specific description and discussion are provided on the crystallization process of perovskite in different two-step methods, including spin-coating, immersion and evaporation. Next, to obtain high-quality perovskite film via these two-step methods, current strategies of additive engineering, composition engineering, and solvent engineering for regulating the crystallization process for two-step perovskite are classified and investigated. Lastly, the challenges which hindering the performance of the two-step perovskite photovoltaics and an outlook toward further developments are proposed.

Vapor deposition as a promising approach for the large-scale perovskite solar cell fabrication

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) hold promise for the next generation of photovoltaic technology because of their high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and low manufacturing cost. Methylammonium (MA)-based perovskites are the most studied compositions as single cation or mixed cation for PSCs because of their high PCE.

Dual Triplet Sensitization Strategy for Efficient and Stable Triplet–Triplet Annihilation Upconversion Perovskite Solar Cells

Dual Triplet Sensitization Strategy for Efficient and Stable Triplet–Triplet Annihilation Upconversion Perovskite Solar Cells

Inhibition of Amine–Water Proton Exchange Stabilizes Perovskite Ink for Scalable Solar Cell Fabrication

Ambient air processing is desirable for the industrial fabrication of perovskite solar cells. Here, we show that perovskite ink containing methylammonium and formamidinium in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and N,N-dimethylformamide, a cosolvent composition that satisfies prerequisites for upscaling solar cell fabrication, degrades within a day in ambient air. From 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis, we find that water proton exchange with methylammonium and formamidinium facilitates the aminolysis of formamidinium by methylamine. The addition of elemental sulfur inhibits this proton exchange process via sulfur–amine reactions, resulting in a stable perovskite ink with an extrapolated half-life of 6300 h. The control ink aged for 1 day does not form perovskite films for solar cell fabrication, while the sulfur-stabilized ink is reproducibly used to make devices with efficiencies >15% when aged for over 1 month. The stabilized ink is suitable for upscaling perovskite solar cell fabrication, with efficiencies up to 17% for blade-coated devices.

Fabrication of opaque aluminum electrode-based perovskite solar cells enabled by the interface optimization

In the total cost of perovskite solar cells (PVSK), the most successfully used indium-tin-oxide (ITO) transparent electrode takes up a substantial amount, which could be big limit for the commercialization of PVSK cells. Aluminum (Al) foil is an extremely low-cost metal electrode with high conductivity and is an ideal alternative for the ITO electrode in PVSKs. Aiming to develop low-cost PVSK, we systematically optimized the layer sequential of inverted PVSK based on the opaque Al bottom electrode. The unsuitable work functions of Al electrode and the poly(bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine (PTAA) hole transport layer lead to low device performance. Through the introduction of a thin molybdenum (VI) oxide (MoO3) layer between the Al electrode and PTAA layer, the hole injection barrier was minimized, leading to a dramatic improvement of device performance. By adjusting the thicknesses of the MoO3 interlayer, a champion cell showed a power conversion efficiency of 7.09% based on spray-coated silver nanowires top electrode, proving the concept of using aluminum foil in making low-cost perovskite solar cells.

Perovskite solar cells by vapor deposition based and assisted methods

Metal halide perovskite solar cells have made significant breakthroughs in power conversion efficiency and operational stability in the last decade, thanks to the advancement of perovskite deposition methods. Solution-based methods have been intensively investigated and deliver record efficiencies. On the other hand, vapor deposition-based and assisted methods were less studied in the early years but have received more attention recently due to their great potential toward large-area solar module manufacturing and high batch-to-batch reproducibility. In addition, an in-depth understanding of perovskite crystallization kinetics during the vapor deposition based and assisted process allows increasing perovskite deposition rate and enhancing perovskite quality. In this review, the advances in vapor-based and assisted methods for the fabrication of perovskite solar cells are introduced. The quality of the perovskite layers (i.e., morphology, crystallinity, defect chemistry, carrier lifetime) fabricated by different methods is compared. The limitations of state-of-the-art vapor-deposited perovskite layers are discussed. Finally, insights into the engineering of vapor deposition based and assisted perovskite layers toward efficient and stable perovskite solar cells and modules are provided.

High‐Throughput Pb Recycling for Perovskite Solar Cells Using Biomimetic Whitlockite

Pb contamination in aquatic environments causes severe pollution; therefore, harmless absorbents are required. In this study, we report a novel synthesis of whitlockite (WH, Ca18Mg2(HPO4)2(PO4)12), which is the second most abundant biomineral in human bone, and its application as a high‐performing Pb2+ absorbent. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) and WH are prepared via a simple precipitation method. The Pb2+ absorption performance and mechanism of the synthesized biominerals are investigated in aqueous solutions at neutral pH. The results demonstrate that WH exhibits an excellent Pb2+ absorption capacity of 2339 mg g−1, which is 1.68 times higher than the recorded value for HAP. Furthermore, the absorbed Pb2+ ions are recycled into high‐purity PbI2. This is employed as a precursor for the fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), resulting in a conversion efficiency of 19.00% comparable to that of commercial PbI2 powder (99.99% purity). Our approach provides an efficient way to remove Pb2+ ions from water and reuse them in the recycling of PSCs.

New insights in construction of three-dimensional donor/acceptor interface for high performance perovskite solar cells: The preparation of wolf tooth stick-like TiO2

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have recently been considered as emerging candidates for the new generation of photovoltaic devices due to their outstanding properties. However, the challenge in carrier transport such as the unfavorable nonradiative recombination in the active layer and the finite stability at device interfaces limit their further commercialization. One of the major obstacles is that the metastable state at donor/acceptor (D/A) interfaces limits the device stability. Thus, how to improve the stability of the interface is one of the main concern. Herein, a new strategy is proposed to building stable D/A interface by introducing the three-dimensional (3-D) structure in PSCs, where a novel wolf tooth stick-like TiO2 (wts-TiO2) is prepared as electron transport material (ETM). The as-prepared devices exhibit excellent performance with accelerated charge transport, reduced nonradiative recombination, expanded D/A interface, and shortened internal photoexcitons diffusion distance. As a result, a top PCE of 19.6% was obtained. Moreover, the wts-TiO2 based solar cells showed excellent long-term stability, which maintained over 81.5% of the initial efficiency after 30 days. Our work provided new insights in fabrication of high-performance perovskite solar cells.

Fabrication, characterization and simulation analysis of perovskite solar cells with dopant-free solution-processible C6PcH2 hole transporting material

Fabrication, characterization and simulation analysis of perovskite solar cells with dopant-free solution-processible C6PcH2 hole transporting material

From Bulk to Surface Passivation: Double Role of Chlorine‐Doping for Boosting Efficiency of FAPbI3‐rich Perovskite Solar Cells

Defect‐mediated recombination losses limit the open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), negatively affecting the device's performance. Bulk and dimensional engineering have both been reported as promising strategies to passivate shallow defects, thus improving the photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE). Here, a combined bulk and surface treatment employing chlorine‐based compounds is employed. Methylammonium chloride (MACl) is used as a bulk additive, while 4‐methylphenethylammonium chloride (MePEACl) is deposited onto the perovskite surface to produce a low‐dimensional perovskite (LDP) and reduce nonradiative recombination. Through structural and morphological investigations, it can be confirmed that bulk and surface doping have a beneficial effect on the film morphology and its overall quality, while electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) analyses demonstrate an increased and more homogeneous emission. Applying this double passivation strategy in PSC fabrication, a boost is observed in both the short‐circuit current density and the VOC of the devices, achieving a champion 21.4% PCE while improving device stability.

Enhanced stability of MAPbI3 based perovskite solar cells

Herein, we reported the fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with device architecture of FTO/TiO2/MAPbI3/GO + spiro-MeOTAD/Au. Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by Hummer’s method which was further incorporated with spiro-MeOTAD to develop the stable PSCs. The fabricated PSCs device exhibited good efficiency of 8.3% using GO + spiro-MeOTAD/Au as hole-transport material (HTM) whereas control device (without GO) showed efficiency of 6.95%. PSCs device (with GO + spiro-MeOTAD) also exhibited good stability up to 168 h under controlled humidity (∼40–50%).

Fabrication and Characterization of an Inorganic Lead-Free Double Perovskite Solar Cell

Fabrication and Characterization of an Inorganic Lead-Free Double Perovskite Solar Cell

A simplistic approach to evaluate the power conversion efficiencies for hybrid charge transport layers in open-air fabricated perovskite solar cells

A simplistic approach to evaluate the power conversion efficiencies for hybrid charge transport layers in open-air fabricated perovskite solar cells

Planar perovskite solar cells: Plasmonic nanoparticles‐modified ZnO as an electron transport layer for enhancing the device performance and stability at ambient conditions

The interfacial engineering of inorganic electron transport materials is to implement stable interfaces with perovskites that have received tremendous momentum in the field of photovoltaics. The viability of perovskite solar cells at ambient conditions and their possible commercialization is one of the recent interests among photovoltaic researchers. In this work, planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are fabricated using plasmonic nanoparticles (Ag and Au) incorporated flake-like ZnO nanostructured material that acts as an electron transport/interfacial layer. The power conversion efficiency and stability of the fabricated perovskite solar cells are evaluated at ambient conditions. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the constructed PSCs namely ZnO, ZnO/Ag, ZnO/Au nanostructured-based electron transport layer (ETL) is 4.68%, 4.92% and 5.50% respectively whereas the interfacial layered ZnO/Ag and ZnO/Au has achieved a maximum PCE of about 6.35% and 6.41%. The stability of all the fabricated devices is studied under AM 1.5 G illumination and UV light conditions in which the ZnO/Au interfacial layered device exhibits significant enhancement retaining ~93% and ~82% stability of initial power conversion efficiency.

Detecting the Knowledge Domains of Compound Semiconductors.

The development of compound semiconductors (CS) has received extensive attention worldwide. This study aimed to detect and visualize CS knowledge domains for quantifying CS research patterns and emerging trends through a scientometric review based on the literature between 2011 and 2020 by using CiteSpace. The combined dataset of 24,622 bibliographic records were collected through topic searches and citation expansion to ensure adequate coverage of the field. While research in “solar cell” and “perovskite tandem” appears to be the two most distinctive knowledge domains in the CS field, research related to thermoelectric materials has grown at a respectable pace. Most notably, the deep connections between “thermoelectric material” and “III-Sb nanowire (NW)” research have been demonstrated. A rapid adaptation of black phosphorus (BP) field-effect transistors (FETs) and gallium nitride (GaN) transistors in the CS field is also apparent. Innovative strategies have focused on the opto-electronics with engineered functionalities, the design, synthesis and fabrication of perovskite tandem solar cells, the growing techniques of Sb-based III–V NWs, and the thermal conductivity of boron arsenide (BAs). This study revealed how the development trends and research areas in the CS field advance over time, which greatly help us to realize its knowledge domains.