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Low Pressure Vapor-assisted Solution Process for Tunable Band Gap Pinhole-free Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskite Films
Published on: September 8, 2017
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Controlling Homogenous Spherulitic Crystallization for High-Efficiency Planar Perovskite Solar Cells Fabricated under
Dechan Angmo1, Xiaojin Peng1,2,3, Aaron Seeber1
1CSIRO, Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|October 26, 2019
Summary
Controlling perovskite film microstructure is key for efficient solar cells. This study reveals how fabrication environment and antisolvent properties influence crystal morphology, enabling high-efficiency perovskite solar cells.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer high power conversion efficiencies.
- Controlling perovskite film microstructure is crucial for device performance and stability.
- Understanding the interplay between processing conditions and film morphology is essential for scalable PSC fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of fabrication environment and antisolvent properties on the microstructural evolution of perovskite films.
- To identify processing strategies that yield high-quality, pinhole-free perovskite films.
- To demonstrate an environmentally benign antisolvent for efficient perovskite solar cell fabrication.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of methyl ammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃) perovskite films under varying environmental conditions and with different Lewis-base additives.
- Systematic investigation of antisolvent properties, ranging from nonpolar to polar, on perovskite film microstructure.
- In situ crystallization imaging and precipitation tests for antisolvent screening.
Main Results:
- Ambient fabrication conditions can accelerate crystal growth and introduce morphological anisotropies.
- Antisolvents enhance nucleation and influence interactions with ambient moisture, leading to varied crystal morphologies.
- Homogeneous spherulitic crystallization results in pinhole-free films, irrespective of the processing environment.
- Propyl acetate, an eco-friendly antisolvent, induces spherulitic crystallization under ambient conditions (52% RH, 25 °C).
Conclusions:
- Processing environment and antisolvent selection significantly impact perovskite film microstructure and quality.
- Spherulitic crystallization is a desirable morphology for achieving high-quality, pinhole-free perovskite films.
- Environmentally benign antisolvents like propyl acetate enable efficient perovskite solar cell fabrication with high power conversion efficiencies (≈17.78%).
- A simple screening method for antisolvents is proposed, facilitating a priori selection for optimized film formation.
