Laser Deposition of Metal Halide Perovskites

Vacuum-based or vapor-phase deposition is the most mature and widely used method for thin-film growth in the semiconductor industry. Yet, the vapor-phase growth of halide perovskites remains relatively underexplored compared to solution process deposition. The intrinsically largely distinct volatilities of organic and inorganic components in halide perovskites challenge the standard physical vapor deposition techniques. Thermal coevaporation tackles this with independent thermally controlled sources per precursor. Alternatively, pulsed laser deposition uses the energy of a laser to eject material from a target via thermal and nonthermal processes. This provides high versatility in the target composition, enabling the deposition of complex (including hybrid) thin films from a single-source target. This Perspective presents an overview of recent advances in laser-based deposition of halide perovskites, discusses advantages and challenges, and motivates the development of physical vapor deposition methods for hybrid materials, especially for applications requiring dry, conformal, and multilayer deposition.