Bismuth-Based Perovskite-Inspired Solar Cells: In Situ Diagnostics Reveal Similarities and Differences in the Film Formation of Bismuth- and Lead-Based Films

Tang, Ming-Chun; Barrit, Dounya; Munir, Rahim; Li, Ruipeng; Barbé, Jérémy M.; Smilgies, Detlef-M; Del Gobbo, Silvano; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.; Amassian, Aram

doi:10.1002/solr.201800305

Bismuth-Based Perovskite-Inspired Solar Cells: In Situ Diagnostics Reveal Similarities and Differences in the Film Formation of Bismuth- and Lead-Based Films

Journal Article · Tue Apr 16 04:00:00 EDT 2019 · Solar RRL

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.201800305· OSTI ID:1827154

Tang, Ming-Chun ^[1]; Barrit, Dounya ^[1]; Munir, Rahim ^[2]; Li, Ruipeng ^[3]; Barbé, Jérémy M. ^[1]; Smilgies, Detlef-M ^[4]; Del Gobbo, Silvano ^[5]; Anthopoulos, Thomas D. ^[1]; ^[6]

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal (Saudi Arabia)
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal (Saudi Arabia); Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), (Germany). German Research Centre for Materials and Energy
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal (Saudi Arabia); Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Rayong (Thailand)
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal (Saudi Arabia); North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

Organic–inorganic lead-based halide perovskite compounds currently yield thin film solar cells with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of >23%. However, replacing the lead with less-toxic elements while maintaining a high PCE remains a challenge. For this reason, there has been significant effort to develop Pb-free compounds, including methylammonium bismuth iodide (MA₃Bi₂I₉), but such systems severely underperform when compared with the prototypical Pb-based methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃). For the latter, it is known that lead complexes with polar solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethylformamide (DMF), to form iodoplumbates which can co-crystallize into solvated phases. Herein, the solidification and growth behaviors of Bi- and Pb-based films is investigated using multi-probe in situ characterization methods. It is shown that the Bi-based compound crystallizes directly and rapidly into a textured polycrystalline microstructure from a precursor solution without evolving through intermediate crystalline solvated phases, in contrast to MAPbI₃. This solidification process produces isolated crystals and challenges the growth of continuous and crystalline films required for solar cells. Further, it is revealed that solvent engineering with antisolvent dripping is crucial to enable the formation of continuous polycrystalline films of MA₃Bi₂I₉ and functional solar cells thereof.

Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22); National Science Foundation (NSF)

DOE Contract Number:: SC0012704

OSTI ID:: 1827154

Report Number(s):: BNL--222244-2021-JAAM

Journal Information:: Solar RRL, Journal Name: Solar RRL Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 3; ISSN 2367-198X

Publisher:: Wiley

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Bismuth-Based Perovskite-Inspired Solar Cells: In Situ Diagnostics Reveal Similarities and Differences in the Film Formation of Bismuth- and Lead-Based Films

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