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Optical and Electronic Losses Arising from Physically Mixed Interfacial Layers in Perovskite Solar Cells

Journal Article · · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

Perovskite solar cell device performance is affected by optical and electronic losses. To minimize these losses in solar cells, it is important to identify their sources. Here, we report the optical and electronic losses arising from physically mixed interfacial layers between the adjacent component materials in highly efficient two terminal (2T) all-perovskite tandem, single junction wide-bandgap, and single junction narrow-bandgap perovskite-based solar cells. Physically mixed interfacial layers as the sources of optical and electronic losses are identified from spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements and data analysis followed by comparisons of simulated and measured external quantum efficiency spectra. Parasitic absorbance in the physically mixed regions between silver metal electrical contacts and electron transport layers (ETLs) near the back contact and a physical mixture of commercial indium tin oxide and hole transport layers (HTL) near the front electrical contact lead to substantial optical loss. Here, a lower-density void + perovskite nucleation layer formed during perovskite deposition at the interface between the perovskite absorber layer and the HTL causes electronic losses due to incomplete collection of photogenerated carriers likely originating from poor coverage and passivation of the initially nucleating grains.

Research Organization:
University of Toledo, OH (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; Northwest Ohio Innovators in Thin Film Photovoltaics; Air Force Research Laboratory
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0008753
OSTI ID:
2478159
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1848869
Journal Information:
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 13; ISSN 1944-8244
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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