Mixing Matters: Nanoscale Heterogeneity and Stability in Metal Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

Mundt, Laura E.; Zhang, Fei; Palmstrom, Axel F.; Xu, Junwei; Tirawat, Robert; Kelly, Leah L.; Stone, Kevin H.; Zhu, Kai; Berry, Joseph J.; Toney, Michael F.; Schelhas, Laura T.

doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.1c02338

Title: Mixing Matters: Nanoscale Heterogeneity and Stability in Metal Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

Journal Article · Wed Dec 29 00:00:00 EST 2021 · ACS Energy Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.1c02338· OSTI ID:1873510

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^[2]; Palmstrom, Axel F. ^[3]; Xu, Junwei ^[1]; Tirawat, Robert ^[3]; Kelly, Leah L. ^[1];

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SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Tianjin Univ. (China)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Renewable and Sustainable Energy Inst. (RASEI), Boulder, CO (United States)
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

The structural stability of the metal halide perovskite (MHP) absorber material is crucial for the long-term solar cell stability in this thin-film photovoltaic technology. Here, we use mixed A-site FA0.83Cs0.17PbI3 to demonstrate that nanoscale compositional heterogeneity can serve as initiation sites for more macroscale, irreversible phase segregation, which causes device performance degradation. Probing compositional heterogeneity on length scales that has not been detected with conventional characterization techniques, we analyze the tetragonal to cubic phase transition behavior to indirectly determine the level of nanoscale compositional heterogeneity in the initial films. Further, we show that the thermal annealing conditions of the MHP layer during film processing influence the initial nanoscale compositional heterogeneity, and changing these processing conditions can be used to improve the device performance stability. The insights into structural degradation mechanisms initiated by nanoscale compositional heterogeneity and the proposed mitigation strategies will help guide the way toward long-term stable MHP solar cells.

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Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515; AC36-08-GO28308; AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1873510

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1843367

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-81467; TRN: US2307047

Journal Information:: ACS Energy Letters, Vol. 7, Issue 1; ISSN 2380-8195

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Mixing Matters: Nanoscale Heterogeneity and Stability in Metal Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

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