Carrier Separation and Transport in Perovskite Solar Cells Studied by Nanometre-Scale Profiling of Electrical Potential

Jiang, Chun-Sheng; Yang, Mengjin; Zhou, Yuanyuan; To, Bobby; Nanayakkara, Sanjini U.; Luther, Joseph M.; Zhou, Weilie; Berry, Joseph J.; van de Lagemaat, Jao; Padture, Nitin P.; Zhu, Kai; Al-Jassim, Mowafak M.

doi:10.1038/ncomms9397

Title: Carrier Separation and Transport in Perovskite Solar Cells Studied by Nanometre-Scale Profiling of Electrical Potential

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Abstract

Organometal–halide perovskite solar cells have greatly improved in just a few years to a power conversion efficiency exceeding 20%. This technology shows unprecedented promise for terawatt-scale deployment of solar energy because of its low-cost, solution-based processing and earth-abundant materials. We have studied charge separation and transport in perovskite solar cells—which are the fundamental mechanisms of device operation and critical factors for power output—by determining the junction structure across the device using the nanoelectrical characterization technique of Kelvin probe force microscopy. Moreover, the distribution of electrical potential across both planar and porous devices demonstrates p–n junction structure at the TiO2/perovskite interfaces and minority-carrier diffusion/drift operation of the devices, rather than the operation mechanism of either an excitonic cell or a p-i-n structure. When we combined the potential profiling results with solar cell performance parameters measured on optimized and thickened devices, we find that carrier mobility is a main factor that needs to be improved for further gains in efficiency of the perovskite solar cells.

Authors:

Jiang, Chun-Sheng ^[1]; Yang, Mengjin ^[1]; Zhou, Yuanyuan ^[2]; To, Bobby ^[1]; Nanayakkara, Sanjini U. ^[1]; Luther, Joseph M. ^[1]; Zhou, Weilie ^[3]; Berry, Joseph J. ^[1]; van de Lagemaat, Jao ^[1]; Padture, Nitin P. ^[2]; Zhu, Kai ^[1]; Al-Jassim, Mowafak M. ^[1]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States)
Univ. of New Orleans, LA (United States)

Publication Date:: Mon Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1225941

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5K00-64457
Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723; MainId:19085;UUID:90f0eeff-390a-e511-b3a2-d89d67132a6d;MainAdminId:71963

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; DMR-1305913

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Nature Communications

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing Group

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; charge separation; Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM); perovskite solar cells; solar-photochemistry; transport

Citation Formats


                    Jiang, Chun-Sheng, Yang, Mengjin, Zhou, Yuanyuan, To, Bobby, Nanayakkara, Sanjini U., Luther, Joseph M., Zhou, Weilie, Berry, Joseph J., van de Lagemaat, Jao, Padture, Nitin P., Zhu, Kai, and Al-Jassim, Mowafak M. Carrier Separation and Transport in Perovskite Solar Cells Studied by Nanometre-Scale Profiling of Electrical Potential.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
Web.  doi:10.1038/ncomms9397.

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                    Jiang, Chun-Sheng, Yang, Mengjin, Zhou, Yuanyuan, To, Bobby, Nanayakkara, Sanjini U., Luther, Joseph M., Zhou, Weilie, Berry, Joseph J., van de Lagemaat, Jao, Padture, Nitin P., Zhu, Kai, & Al-Jassim, Mowafak M. Carrier Separation and Transport in Perovskite Solar Cells Studied by Nanometre-Scale Profiling of Electrical Potential.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9397

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                    Jiang, Chun-Sheng, Yang, Mengjin, Zhou, Yuanyuan, To, Bobby, Nanayakkara, Sanjini U., Luther, Joseph M., Zhou, Weilie, Berry, Joseph J., van de Lagemaat, Jao, Padture, Nitin P., Zhu, Kai, and Al-Jassim, Mowafak M. Mon .  
"Carrier Separation and Transport in Perovskite Solar Cells Studied by Nanometre-Scale Profiling of Electrical Potential".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9397.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1225941.

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@article{osti_1225941,

  title        = {Carrier Separation and Transport in Perovskite Solar Cells Studied by Nanometre-Scale Profiling of Electrical Potential},

  author       = {Jiang, Chun-Sheng and Yang, Mengjin and Zhou, Yuanyuan and To, Bobby and Nanayakkara, Sanjini U. and Luther, Joseph M. and Zhou, Weilie and Berry, Joseph J. and van de Lagemaat, Jao and Padture, Nitin P. and Zhu, Kai and Al-Jassim, Mowafak M.},

  abstractNote = {Organometal–halide perovskite solar cells have greatly improved in just a few years to a power conversion efficiency exceeding 20%. This technology shows unprecedented promise for terawatt-scale deployment of solar energy because of its low-cost, solution-based processing and earth-abundant materials. We have studied charge separation and transport in perovskite solar cells—which are the fundamental mechanisms of device operation and critical factors for power output—by determining the junction structure across the device using the nanoelectrical characterization technique of Kelvin probe force microscopy. Moreover, the distribution of electrical potential across both planar and porous devices demonstrates p–n junction structure at the TiO2/perovskite interfaces and minority-carrier diffusion/drift operation of the devices, rather than the operation mechanism of either an excitonic cell or a p-i-n structure. When we combined the potential profiling results with solar cell performance parameters measured on optimized and thickened devices, we find that carrier mobility is a main factor that needs to be improved for further gains in efficiency of the perovskite solar cells.},

  doi          = {10.1038/ncomms9397},

  journal      = {Nature Communications},

  number       = ,

  volume       = 6,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Mon Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

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