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At least 433 records · Page 24

Direct Deposition of Nonaqueous SnO 2 Dispersion by Blade Coating on Perovskites for the Scalable Fabrication of p–i–n Perovskite Solar Cells

Tin(IV) oxide materials have been extensively used as electron transport materials in n–i–p perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to their superior optoelectronic properties, low-temperature processability, and high chemical stability. However, solvent incompatibility and processing temperature have limited the direct deposition of fully solution-processed SnO 2 in p–i–n devices. In this study, we overcome this limitation by the functionalization of SnO 2 nanoparticles with acetate through ligand exchange, allowing their dispersion in anhydrous ethanol. The SnO 2 dispersion was deposited on the perovskite absorber by blade coating without damaging the underlying perovskite layer, as determined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Photoluminescence spectroscopy confirmed effective electron extraction. The champion device shows 14.1% initial power conversion efficiency (PCE) which is unprecedented for a p–i–n device employing solution-phase SnO 2 . Finally, PSCs stored for 40 days in a nitrogen flow box retained an average of 95.8% of the initial PCE.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Understanding Mass Transport in Copper Electrolyte-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Copper redox shuttles, particularly [Cu(tmby) 2 ] 2+/1+ (tmby = bis(4,4',6,6'-tetramethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)), proved to be among the best electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), realizing higher power conversion efficiencies both under full sun and indoor illumination than conventional iodide/triiodide and cobalt electrolytes. Even though [Cu(tmby) 2 ] 2+/1+ renders a relatively higher performance, this metal complex is bulky and is limited by mass transport. Since the regeneration of the dye ground state by Cu I and the reaction of Cu II at the counter electrode are comparatively faster processes, the efficiency of DSC involving Cu I /Cu II electrolytes under relatively high light intensities is largely governed by the diffusion of Cu I /Cu II species. Understanding mass transport in these solar cells will enable further improvements in the performance of such copper-based DSCs. Here in the present study, the role of illumination intensity on the photogenerated current and its relationship to mass transport is evaluated using the best cosensitized dye (D35:XY1) and copper electrolyte ([Cu(tmby) 2 ] 2+/1+ ) combination.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Water-Assisted Lift-Off Process for Flexible CdTe Solar Cells

In recent years, various lift-off methods have been developed to fabricate lightweight and flexible cadmium telluride (CdTe)-based solar cells. In this work, we report flexible cadmium sulfide (CdS)/CdTe solar cells using a water-assisted lift-off approach. Here we demonstrate that an additional cadmium chloride treatment for the CdS film is critical to improve the grain size of CdS and the post-deposited CdTe film and the electron conductivity of the CdS film. As a result, the quality of the CdS/CdTe front junction is significantly improved with reduced nonradiative recombination. Finally, our lightweight and flexible polycrystalline CdTe solar cells demonstrate a champion power conversion efficiency of 12.6%.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Understanding Photovoltage Deficits in Electrochemically Grown Tin Sulfide (SnS) Thin-Film Photovoltaic Devices

Tin­(II) sulfide (SnS) is an earth-abundant semiconductor with a direct optical bandgap of ca. 1.1 eV, which makes it a promising absorber material for thin-film photovoltaic (PV) devices. However, existing devices have significant photovoltage deficits, which may be related to the anisotropic structure of the layered Herzenbergite SnS crystal structure. Here, we explore electrochemical deposition as a near room temperature path to oriented SnS crystal films on Mo and FTO substrates and employ vibrating Kelvin probe surface photovoltage (SPV) spectroscopy and J–V measurements to identify conversion losses in them. According to grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction and SEM, the SnS films consist of crystalline microplates with preferred orientation in the [111] and [001] directions. The bare SnS films produce only small and irreversible surface photovoltage signals, due charge trapping and recombination at the SnS surfaces, but addition of a CdS buffer layer lowers the charge recombination rate by 2 orders of magnitude and increases both the photovoltage and its reversibility due to the formation of a p-SnS/n-CdS junction. According to SPV, the FTO/SnS back interface (but not the Mo/SnS interface) forms a detrimental p–n junction that hinders hole transfer. Additional shunting through the relatively open microcrystal SnS layers and a lower conductivity of the FTO substrate explain the low power conversion efficiencies of the final devices (0.18 and 0.10% for the Mo and FTO substrates). Altogether, this work establishes a low-temperature path for the fabrication of crystalline SnS film-based solar cells and identifies the bottlenecks that limit high photoconversion efficiency.

deposition↗

Nonfused Nonfullerene Acceptors with an A–D–A'–D–A Framework and a Benzothiadiazole Core for High-Performance Organic Solar Cells

Nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) have contributed significantly to the progress of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, most NFAs feature a large fused-ring backbone, which usually requires a tedious multiple-step synthesis, and are not applicable to commercial applications. An alternative strategy is to develop nonfused NFAs, which possess synthetic simplicity and facile tunability in optoelectronic properties and solid-state microstructures. In this work, we report two nonfused NFAs, BTCIC and BTCIC-4Cl, based on an A-D-A'-D-A architecture, which possess the same electron-deficient benzothiadiazole central core but different electron-withdrawing terminal groups. The optical properties, energy levels, and molecular crystallinities were finely tuned by changing the terminal groups. Moreover, a decent power conversion efficiency of 9.3 and 10.5% has been achieved by BTCIC and BTCIC-4Cl, respectively, by blending them with an appropriate polymer donor. These results demonstrate the potential of A-D-A'-D-A type nonfused NFAs for high-performance OSCs. Further development of nonfused NFAs will be very fruitful by employing appropriate building blocks and via side-chain optimizations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Role of Alkali-Metal Cations in Electronic Structure and Halide Segregation of Hybrid Perovskites

The ability to control or prevent phase segregation in perovskites is crucial to realizing stable and tunable mixed-halide optoelectronic devices. Here, we systematically examine the impact of alkali-metal-cation (Cs + and K + ) concentration on the band structure, chemical composition, phase segregation, and polycrystalline microstructure on formamidinium-dominated mixed-halide mixed-cation perovskite films. It was found that the incorporation of Cs + and K + cations decreases the work function and the core levels of all components shift toward higher binding energy consistent with n-doping the perovskite film, which facilitates electron transfer to the electron transport layer TiO 2 . A concentration-dependent film structure was observed by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering where the halides and cations are distributed evenly across perovskite films at low metallic cation concentration (5%). A high metal-cation ratio (20%) leads to halide segregation within the perovskite film and the surface becomes bromide-poor, whereas the bromide and metal cations diffuse more deeply within the film. These differences in electronic properties, element distribution, and film morphology were reflected in the device performance where the power conversion efficiency of low-metallic-cation concentration (5% of Cs + and K + ) perovskite solar cells is ≈5% higher than the high-concentration ones (20%). This study provides valuable chemical and physical insight into the underlying trade-offs in the careful tuning of electrical properties and film structure to optimize multication and mixed-halide hybrid perovskites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Substitution Effect on Thiobarbituric Acid End Groups for High Open-Circuit Voltage Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells

Recent advances in non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) have resulted in significant improvement in the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of organic solar cells (OSCs). In our efforts to boost open-circuit voltage (V OC ) for OSCs, the molecular design employing thiobarbituric acid (TBTA) end groups and an indacenodithieno[3,2-b]thiophene (IDTT) core gives rise to NFAs with significantly raised lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level, which, when paired with PCE10, can achieve V OC 's over 1.0 V and decent PCEs that outperform the equivalent devices based on the benchmark ITIC acceptor. While the use of a TBTA end group is effective in tuning energy levels, very little is known about how the alkyl substitution on the TBTA group impacts the solar cell performance. To this end, TBTA end groups are alkylated with linear, branched, and aromatic sidechains to understand the influence on thin-film morphology and related device performances. We report our study has confirmed the dependence of solar cell performance on the end-group substituents. More importantly, we reveal the presence of an ideal window of crystallinity associated with the medium-length hydrocarbon chains such as ethyl and benzyl. Deviation to the shorter methyl group makes the acceptor too crystalline to mix with the polymer donor and form proper domains, whereas longer and branched alkyl chains are too sterically bulky and hinder charge transport due to nonideal packing. Such findings underline the comprehensive nature of thin-film morphology and the subtle end-group effects for the design of non-fullerene acceptors.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Ambient Pressure XPS Investigation of Thermally Stable Halide Perovskite Solar Cells via Post-Treatment

Long-term thermal stability is one limiting factor that impedes the commercialization of perovskite solar cell. Inspired by our prior results from machine learning, we discover that coating a thin layer of 4,4’-dibromotriphenylamine (DBTPA) on top of a CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 (MAPbI 3 ) thin film can improve the stability of the resultant perovskite solar cells. The passivated perovskite solar cells retained more than 96% of their initial power conversion efficiency over 1000 h at 85 °C in N2 atmosphere without encapsulation. Near-ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) was employed to investigate the evolution of composition and evaluate thermal and moisture stability by in-situ studies. A comparison between pristine MAPbI 3 films and DBTPA-treated films shows the DBTPA treatment suppresses the escape of iodide and methylamine up to 150 °C under 5 mbar humidity. Furthermore, we have used ATR-FTIR and XPS to probe the interactions between DBTPA and MAPbI3 surface. The results prove that DBTPA coordinate with perovskite by Lewis acid-base and cation-π interaction. Compared with the 19.9% efficiency of pristine sample, the champion efficiency of passivated sample reaches 20.6%. Finally, our results reveal DBTPA as a new post-treating molecule that not only leads to the improvement of photovoltaic efficiency but also thermal and moisture stability.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Semi-monolithic Integration of All-Chalcopyrite Multijunction Solar Conversion Devices via Thin-Film Bonding and Exfoliation

Here we report on a semi-monolithic integration method to circumvent processing incompatibility between materials of dissimilar classes and combine them into multijunction devices for photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical applications. Proof-of-concept all-chalcopyrite tandems were obtained by consecutive transfer of fully integrated unpatterned 1.85 eV CuGa 3 Se 5 and 1.13 eV CuInGaSe 2 PV stacks from their Mo/soda lime glass substrates onto a new single host substrate. This transfer approach consists of two key steps: (1) bonding of the solar stack (face down) onto a handle (e.g., SnO 2 :F, FTO) using a transparent conductive composite and (2) delamination of the solar stack at the chalcopyrite/Mo interface by employing a wedge-based exfoliation technique. Upon transfer onto FTO, a CuGa 3 Se 5 champion device demonstrated near-coincident photocurrent density-voltage characteristic with a baseline measurement. Then, the exfoliated CuGa 3 Se 5 single-junction stack transferred onto FTO served as the new host onto which a second fully processed CuInGaSe 2 stack was bonded (face down) onto and liberated from its Mo/SLG substrate, leading to a complete transfer of both sub-cells onto one FTO substrate. A champion semi-monolithic tandem device exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 5.04% with an open-circuit voltage, a short-circuit current density, and a fill factor of 1.24 V, 7.19 mA/cm 2 , and 56.7%, respectively. This first-time demonstration of a fully operational semi-monolithic device provides a new avenue to combine thermally, mechanically, and/or chemically incompatible thin-film material classes into tandem photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical devices while maintaining state-of-the-art sub-cell processing.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Aqueous Processed All-Polymer Solar Cells with High Open-Circuit Voltage Based on Low-Cost Thiophene–Quinoxaline Polymers

Eco-friendly solution processing and the low-cost synthesis of photoactive materials are important requirements for the commercialization of organic solar cells (OSCs). Although varieties of aqueous-soluble acceptors have been developed, the availability of aqueous-processable polymer donors remains quite limited. In particular, the generally shallow highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels of existing polymer donors limit further increases in the power conversion efficiency (PCE). Here, we design and synthesize two water/alcohol-processable polymer donors, poly[(thiophene-2,5-diyl)-alt-(2-((13-(2,5,8,11-tetraoxadodecyl)-2,5,8,11-tetraoxatetradecan-14-yl)oxy)-6,7-difluoroquinoxaline-5,8-diyl)] (P(Qx8O-T)) and poly[(selenophene-2,5-diyl)-alt-(2-((13-(2,5,8,11-tetraoxadodecyl)-2,5,8,11-tetraoxatetradecan-14-yl)oxy)-6,7-difluoroquinoxaline-5,8-diyl)] (P(Qx8O-Se)) with oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) side chains, having deep HOMO energy levels (~–5.4 eV). The synthesis of the polymers is achieved in a few synthetic and purification steps at reduced cost. The theoretical calculations uncover that the dielectric environmental variations are responsible for the observed band gap lowering in OEG-based polymers compared to their alkylated counterparts. Notably, the aqueous-processed all-polymer solar cells (aq-APSCs) based on P(Qx8O-T) and poly[(N,N'-bis(3-(2-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)-ethoxy)ethoxy)-2-((2-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)-methyl)propyl)naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl)-alt-(2,5-thiophene)] (P(NDIDEG-T)) active layer exhibit a PCE of 2.27% and high open-circuit voltage (V OC ) approaching 0.8 V, which are among the highest values for aq-APSCs reported to date. This study provides important clues for the design of low-cost, aqueous-processable polymer donors and the fabrication of aqueous-processable OSCs with high V OC .

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Atomic Structure, Dynamics, Changes in Chemical Bonding and Semiconductor-Metal Transition in Sb 2 Se 3 : A Remarkable Material for Quantum Networks and Energy Applications

Antimony sesquiselenide has become an outstanding functional material for photovoltaics, energy storage and transformation, memory and photonic applications. Sb 2 Se 3 is one of the most successful emerging solar light absorbers and has also been identified as a highly promising ultralow-loss phase-change material (PCM) for next-generation coherent nanophotonic processors, photonic tensor cores, quantum and neuromorphic networks. Unlike benchmark telluride PCMs, Sb 2 Se 3 features a quasi-one-dimensional (1D) crystalline structure consisting of (Sb 4 Se 6 ) ∞ ribbons, lacks the typical PCM chemical bonding, and undergoes an extended semiconductor-metal transition above the melting point. Consequently, the origin of high optical contrast between crystalline (SET) and amorphous (RESET) logic states remains elusive and presents a significant challenge. Using high-energy X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy over a wide temperature range, supported by first-principles simulations and complemented by thermal, optical and electrical measurements, as well as by 121 Sb-Mossbauer spectroscopy, the quasi-1D network of orthorhombic antimony sesquiselenide was found to undergo significant evolution in amorphous and supercooled Sb 2 Se 3 , leading to lower coordination, shorter interatomic distances and a higher p-electron density on antimony, indicating changes in chemical bonding. The observed novel Sb 2 Se 3 nanocrystalline polymorph, characterized by trigonal antimony coordination and more isolated Sb-Se ribbons, could help reduce multiple trapping defect states in the bandgap, which are typical of orthorhombic Sb 2 Se 3 , thereby enhancing the power-conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Semimetallic and metallic liquid Sb 2 Se 3 exhibit a gradual transformation into a denser 2D and/or 3D network with higher antimony coordination. Localized electron states in the pseudogap are becoming extended, leading to an increase in electronic conductivity σ following the relationship σ ∝ N(E F ) 2 . Liquid Sb 2 Se 3 also appears to be strongly fragile, with a nonmonotonic change in viscosity and higher atomic mobility in the metallic liquid. Furthermore, these results explain extraordinary functionalities of Sb 2 Se 3 for photonic and energy applications.

antimony↗

Deposition-Dependent Coverage and Performance of Phosphonic Acid Interface Modifiers in Halide Perovskite Optoelectronics

In this work, we study the effect of various deposition methods for phosphonic acid interface modifiers commonly pursued as self-assembled monolayers in high-performance metal halide perovskite photovoltaics and light-emitting diodes. We compare the deposition of (2-(3,6-diiodo-9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl)phosphonic acid onto indium tin oxide (ITO) bottom contacts by varying three parameters: the method of deposition, specifically spin coating or prolonged dip coating; ITO surface treatment via HCl/FeCl3 etching; and use in combination with a second modifier, 1,6-hexylenediphosphonic acid. We demonstrate that varying these modification protocols can impact time-resolved photoluminescence carrier lifetimes and quasi-Fermi level splitting of perovskite films deposited onto the phosphonic acid-modified ITO. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy shows an increase in the effective work function after phosphonic acid modification and clear evidence for photoemission from carbazole functional groups at the ITO surface. We used X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to probe differences in phosphonic acid coverage on the metal oxide contact and show that perovskite samples grown on ITO with the highest phosphonic acid coverage exhibit the longest carrier lifetimes. Finally, we establish that device performance follows these same trends. These results indicate that the reactivity, heterogeneity, and composition of the bottom contact help to control recombination rates and therefore power conversion efficiencies. ITO etching, prolonged deposition times for phosphonic acids via dip coating, and the use of a secondary, more hydrophilic bisphosphonic acid all contribute to improvements in surface coverage, carrier lifetime, and device efficiency. Furthermore, these improvements each have a positive impact, and we achieve the best results when all three strategies are implemented.

contact engineering↗

Gold-Induced Chemical Perturbations in CdTe-Based Photovoltaic Cells

Back-contacting p-type CdTe has been identified as one of the major areas of loss in CdTe photovoltaic (PV) power conversion efficiency (PCE). In research settings, Au is a common contact material due to its ease of use and decent performance. This work provides a detailed investigation into using gold for back contacting As-doped, CdCl 2 -treated, polycrystalline CdTe that has been exposed to air after absorber processing, another routine practice. First, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) is used to determine the native oxide to be 1.6 nm of CdTeO 3 by using a combination of angle-resolved XPS and the cadmium-modified Auger parameter. During gold metallization of CdTe, oxygen and oxidized tellurium are eliminated from the thin CdTeO 3 native oxide. The fates of the released oxygen and possibly cadmium and tellurium are not known, but these reaction byproducts can enter the absorber bulk or grain boundaries, stay at the interface, or dissolve in the Au. Interfacial hole barriers between CdTe and Au are measured for samples with and without the native oxide present prior to metallization. Results show that the thin CdTeO 3 alleviates the downward band bending by 40 meV from 470 to 430 meV even though it is consumed during interface formation. The implications of these chemical reactions on the device are assessed through photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, which shows losses in internal open circuit voltage (iVoc) from 820 to 795 meV, carrier lifetime from 123 to 45 ns, and PL quantum yield from 2.9 × 10 −5 to 1.2 × 10 −5 . Modeling timeresolved PL lifetimes demonstrates the back surface recombination velocity due to metallization reduces minority carrier lifetimes. These results identify the native oxide and show that it plays an important role in mediating downward band bending along with how the back interface reaction can negatively impact device-scale parameters and reduce PV PCE.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Employing a Narrow-Band-Gap Mediator in Ternary Solar Cells for Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance

Ternary organic solar cells (OSCs) provide a convenient and effective means to further improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of binary ones via composition control. However, the role of the third component remains to be explored in specific binary systems. Herein, we report ternary blend solar cells by adding the narrow-band-gap donor PCE10 as the mediator into the PBDB-T:IDTT-T binary blend system. The extended absorption, efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer, enhanced charge dissociation, and induced tighter molecular packing of the ternary blend films enhance the photovoltaic properties of devices and deliver a champion PCE of 10.73% with an impressively high open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.03 V. Good miscibility and similar molecular packing behavior of the components guarantee the desired morphology in the ternary blend films, leading to solar cell devices with over 10% PCEs at a range of compositions. Our results suggest that ternary systems with properly aligned energy levels and overlapping absorption among the components hold great promises to further enhance the performance of corresponding binary ones.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Arylammonium-Assisted Reduction of the Open-Circuit Voltage Deficit in Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells: The Role of Suppressed Ion Migration

Surface treatment using large alkyl/aryl ammonium cations has demonstrated reduced open-circuit voltage (V OC ) deficits in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), but the origin of the improvements has been vaguely attributed to defect passivation. Here, we combine the microscopic probing of the local electrical properties, thermal admittance spectroscopic analysis, and first principles calculations to elucidate the critical role of arylammonium interface layers on suppressing the ion migration in wide-bandgap (WBG) PSCs. Our results reveal that arylammonium surface treatment using phenethylammonium iodide increases the activation energy barrier for ion migration on the surface, which suppresses the accumulation of charge defects at surface and grain boundaries (GBs), leading to reduced dark saturation current density in WBG PSCs. Furthermore, with device optimization, our champion 1.73-eV PSC delivers a power conversion efficiency of 19.07% with a V OC of 1.25 V, achieving a V OC -deficit of 0.48 V.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

SMART Perovskite Growth: Enabling a Larger Range of Process Conditions

Cost-effective, high-throughput industrial applications of metal-halide perovskites require a highly tolerant method (i.e., wide process window) that produces high-quality materials with a short annealing time. Here, we introduce a Seed Modulation for ARTificially controlled nucleation (SMART) process that enables rapid fabrication of high-quality perovskite films under a wide set of initial input parameters. Additionally, we characterized the thin-film evolution from the perspective of crystallinity, surface potential, diffusivity, surface carrier dynamics, and interfacial recombination. We find that surface and subsurface defects primarily determine the performance of materials and devices. By modulating the seeds for perovskite nucleation, we were able to improve the overall crystallization. We achieved a >20% power conversion efficiency using only a 5 min annealing step, and we found that the annealing window is widened such that differing initial conditions achieve similar quality. Furthermore, we demonstrated reproducibility and performance improvement in larger-area perovskite cells by incorporating the SMART process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Understanding the Effect of Lead Iodide Excess on the Performance of Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite Solar Cells

The presence of unreacted lead iodide in organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite solar cells is widely correlated with an increase in power conversion efficiency. We investigate the mechanism for this increase by identifying the role of surfaces and interfaces present between methylammonium lead iodide perovskite films and excess lead iodide. We show how type I and II band alignments arising under different conditions result in either passivation of surface defects or hole injection. Through first-principles simulations of solid-solid interfaces, we find that lead iodide captures holes from methylammonium lead iodide and modulates the formation of defects in the perovskite, affecting recombination. Using surface-sensitive optical spectroscopy techniques, such as transient reflectance and time-resolved photoluminescence, we show how excess lead iodide affects the diffusion and surface recombination velocity of charge carriers in methylammonium lead iodide films. Our coupled experimental and theoretical results elucidate the role of excess lead iodide in perovskite solar cells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗