Engineering Amorphous–Crystallized Interface of ZrN_x Barriers for Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract

It is challenging to achieve long-term stability of perovskite solar cells due to the corrosion and diffusion of metal electrodes. Integration of compact barriers into devices has been recognized as an effective strategy to protect the perovskite absorber and electrode. However, the difficulty is to construct a thin layer of a few nanometers that can delay ion migration and impede chemical reactions simultaneously, in which the delicate microstructure design of a stable material plays an important role. Herein, ZrN x barrier films with high amorphization are introduced in p-i-n perovskite solar cells. To quantify the amorphous-crystalline (a-c) density, pattern recognition techniques are employed. It is found the decreasing a-c interface in an amorphous film leads to dense atom arrangement and uniform distribution of chemical potential, which retards the interdiffusion at the interface between ions and metal atoms and protect the electrodes from corrosion. The resultant solar cells exhibit improved operational stability, which retains 88% of initial efficiency after continuous maximum power point tracking under 1-Sun illumination at room temperature (25 °C) for 1500 h.

Silver coordination-induced n-doping of PCBM for stable and efficient inverted perovskite solar cells

“…The Ag electrode-induced degradation in PSCs includes three primary mechanisms 13 : (1) the diffusion of volatile decomposition products or halide anions from the perovskite layer, such as halides or halogen species, into the Ag electrode, leading to metal corrosion and depletion of halides in the perovskite absorption layer; (2) the redox couple formation of metal contact with Pb 2+ ions in the perovskite film, accelerating the loss of halide and promoting the formation of Pb 0 ; (3) the diffusion of metals into the perovskite active layer under heat and/or light activation, forming an insulating metal halide or defect state at the interface or bulk of the perovskite. Commonly, inert physical barriers, such as graphene 14 , chromium or bismuth interlayers 8 , 15 and amorphous barrier films 11 , are employed at the interface between the transport layer and the electrode to impede ion or metal diffusion. Despite, this strategy effectively delays metal electrode corrosion and prolongs device stability, iodine can still permeate through these barriers under heat or light conditions 16 .…”

Photocatalysis Based on Metal Halide Perovskites for Organic Chemical Transformations

“…Examples include CsPbBr 3 @CdS [178], CsPbBr 3 @Cs 4 PbBr 6 , CsPbBr 3 @CsPb 2 Br 5 [179], CsPbBr 3 @Rb 4 PbBr 6 [180], CsPbBr 3 @PbBr 2 [181]. Additionally, encapsulating the active material with inorganic oxides such as SiO 2 [182], TiO 2 [183], AlO x [184], ZrO 2 [185], silsesquioxane [186], and ZrN x [187] as well as hydrophobic polymer matrices, e.g., polystyrene [188], poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene) [189], and PMMA [190].…”

Interfacial defect passivation via imidazolium bromide for efficient, stable perovskite solar cells

“…12–14 Once, perovskite-related interfaces deteriorate, it results in unsatisfied cell performance and poor stability. 15,16 Therefore, developing interface passivation techniques is an effective strategy to reduce non-radiative recombination, 17–19 improve interface properties 20 and enhance the photoelectric efficiency and stability of PSCs. 21…”