Interface Engineering in Perovskite Solar Cells by low concentration of PEAI solution in the antisolvent step

Abstract

In spite of the outstanding properties of metal halide perovskites, its polycrystalline nature induces a wide range of structural defects that results in charge losses that affect the final device performance and stability. Herein, a surface treatment is used to passivate interfacial vacancies and improve moisture tolerance. A functional organic molecule, phenylethyl ammonium iodide (PEAI) salt, is dissolved with the antisolvent step. The additive used at low concentration does not induce formation of low-dimensional perovskites species. Instead, the organic halide species passivate the surface of the perovskite and grain boundaries, which results in an effective passivation. For sake of generality, this facile solution-processed synthesis was studied for halide perovskite with different compositions, the standard perovskite MAPbI3, and double cation perovskites, MA0.9Cs0.1PbI3 and MA0.5FA0.5PbI3, increasing the average photoconversion efficiency compared to the reference cell by 18%, 32%, and 4% respectively, observed for regular, n-i-p, and inverted, p-i-n, solar cell configurations. This analysis highlights the generality of this approach for halide perovskite materials in order to reduce nonradiative recombination as observed by impedance spectroscopy.