Air-Induced Conductivity Loss in Fullerene ETLs Can Drive Charge Extraction Losses in Vapor-Deposited Perovskite Solar Cells
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The effect of air exposure on all-vapor processed perovskite solar cells using C 60 fullerene electron transport layers (ETLs) was investigated. C 60 is used in lead halide perovskite solar cells as an ETL to decrease hysteresis and improve stabilized power output. However, air exposure to n-i-p solar cells using C 60 ETLs without encapsulation or doping can result in performance degradation due to FF loss and the onset of s-shaped J–V curves. This is correlated to orders of magnitude increase in C 60 resistivity upon air exposure. Drift-diffusion simulations provide evidence that a change in the C 60 carrier concentration or mobility can lead to the FF loss and s-shaped J–V curve. The degradation does not occur when using inorganic ETLs but does occur in p-i-n architecture using C 60 ETLs, further confirming that the C 60 layer is the source of the degradation. This is an additional pathway for perovskite solar cell degradation upon air exposure beyond the instability of the perovskite itself. The loss of efficiency can be reduced in p-i-n solar cells using a LiF interlayer, and a better combination of hysteresis and air stability can be achieved in n-i-p solar cells using a C 60 /SnO 2 bilayer ETL.
Source: ACS Applied Energy Materials
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4404993323