ABSTRACT
Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells hold great promise for realizing high power conversion efficiency at low cost. However, achieving scalable fabrication of wide-bandgap perovskite (~1.68 eV) in air, without the protective environment of an inert atmosphere, remains challenging due to moisture-induced degradation of perovskite films. Herein, this study reveals that the extent of moisture interference is significantly influenced by the properties of solvent. We further demonstrate that n-Butanol (nBA), with its low polarity and moderate volatilization rate, not only mitigates the detrimental effects of moisture in air during scalable fabrication but also enhances the uniformity of perovskite films. This approach enables us to achieve an impressive efficiency of 29.4% (certified 28.7%) for double-sided textured perovskite/silicon tandem cells featuring large-size pyramids (2-3 µm) and 26.3% over an aperture area of 16 cm2. This advance provides a route for large-scale production of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, marking a significant stride toward their commercial viability.
ABSTRACT
Scalable fabrication of all-perovskite tandem solar cells is challenging because the narrow-bandgap subcells made of mixed lead-tin (Pb-Sn) perovskite films suffer from nonuniform crystallization and inferior buried perovskite interfaces. We used a dopant from Good's list of biochemical buffers, aminoacetamide hydrochloride, to homogenize perovskite crystallization and used it to extend the processing window for blade-coating Pb-Sn perovskite films and to selectively passivate defects at the buried perovskite interface. The resulting all-perovskite tandem solar module exhibited a certified power conversion efficiency of 24.5% with an aperture area of 20.25 square centimeters.
ABSTRACT
All-perovskite tandem solar cells offer the potential to surpass the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit efficiency of single-junction solar cells while maintaining the advantages of low-cost and high-productivity solution processing. However, scalable solution processing of electron transport layer (ETL) in p-i-n structured perovskite solar subcells remains challenging due to the rough perovskite film surface and energy level mismatch between ETL and perovskites. Here, scalable solution processing of hybrid fullerenes (HF) with blade-coating on both wide-bandgap (≈1.80 eV) and narrow-bandgap (≈1.25 eV) perovskite films in all-perovskite tandem solar modules is developed. The HF, comprising a mixture of fullerene (C60 ), phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester, and indene-C60 bisadduct, exhibits improved conductivity, superior energy level alignment with both wide- and narrow-bandgap perovskites, and reduced interfacial nonradiative recombination when compared to the conventional thermal-evaporated C60 . With scalable solution-processed HF as the ETLs, the all-perovskite tandem solar modules achieve a champion power conversion efficiency of 23.3% (aperture area = 20.25 cm2 ). This study paves the way to all-solution processing of low-cost and high-efficiency all-perovskite tandem solar modules in the future.
ABSTRACT
Light-induced halide segregation constrains the photovoltaic performance and stability of wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells and tandem cells. The implementation of an intermixed two-dimensional/three-dimensional heterostructure via solution post-treatment is a typical strategy to improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. However, owing to the composition-dependent sensitivity of surface reconstruction, the conventional solution post-treatment is suboptimal for methylammonium-free and cesium/bromide-enriched wide-bandgap PSCs. To address this, we develop a generic three-dimensional to two-dimensional perovskite conversion approach to realize a preferential growth of wider dimensionality (n ≥ 2) atop wide-bandgap perovskite layers (1.78 eV). This technique involves depositing a well-defined MAPbI3 thin layer through a vapor-assisted two-step process, followed by its conversion into a two-dimensional structure. Such a two-dimensional/three-dimensional heterostructure enables suppressed light-induced halide segregation, reduced non-radiative interfacial recombination, and facilitated charge extraction. The wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells demonstrate a champion power conversion efficiency of 19.6% and an open-circuit voltage of 1.32 V. By integrating with the thermal-stable FAPb0.5Sn0.5I3 narrow-bandgap perovskites, our all-perovskite tandem solar cells exhibit a stabilized PCE of 28.1% and retain 90% of the initial performance after 855 hours of continuous 1-sun illumination.
ABSTRACT
All-perovskite tandem solar cells promise higher power-conversion efficiency (PCE) than single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) while maintaining a low fabrication cost1-3. However, their performance is still largely constrained by the subpar performance of mixed lead-tin (Pb-Sn) narrow-bandgap (NBG) perovskite subcells, mainly because of a high trap density on the perovskite film surface4-6. Although heterojunctions with intermixed 2D/3D perovskites could reduce surface recombination, this common strategy induces transport losses and thereby limits device fill factors (FFs)7-9. Here we develop an immiscible 3D/3D bilayer perovskite heterojunction (PHJ) with type II band structure at the Pb-Sn perovskite-electron-transport layer (ETL) interface to suppress the interfacial non-radiative recombination and facilitate charge extraction. The bilayer PHJ is formed by depositing a layer of lead-halide wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite on top of the mixed Pb-Sn NBG perovskite through a hybrid evaporation-solution-processing method. This heterostructure allows us to increase the PCE of Pb-Sn PSCs having a 1.2-µm-thick absorber to 23.8%, together with a high open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.873 V and a high FF of 82.6%. We thereby demonstrate a record-high PCE of 28.5% (certified 28.0%) in all-perovskite tandem solar cells. The encapsulated tandem devices retain more than 90% of their initial performance after 600 h of continuous operation under simulated one-sun illumination.
ABSTRACT
The commonly-used superstrate configuration (depositing front subcell first and then depositing back subcell) in all-perovskite tandem solar cells is disadvantageous for long-term stability due to oxidizable narrow-bandgap perovskite assembled last and easily exposable to air. Here we reverse the processing order and demonstrate all-perovskite tandems in a substrate configuration (depositing back subcell first and then depositing front subcell) to bury oxidizable narrow-bandgap perovskite deep in the device stack. By using guanidinium tetrafluoroborate additive in wide-bandgap perovskite subcell, we achieve an efficiency of 25.3% for the substrate-configured all-perovskite tandem cells. The unencapsulated devices exhibit no performance degradation after storage in dry air for 1000 hours. The substrate configuration also widens the choice of flexible substrates: we achieve 24.1% and 20.3% efficient flexible all-perovskite tandem solar cells on copper-coated polyethylene naphthalene and copper metal foil, respectively. Substrate configuration offers a promising route to unleash the commercial potential of all-perovskite tandem solar cells.
ABSTRACT
Efficient inverted (p-i-n) type CsPbI3perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have revealed promising applications due to their excellent thermal and photostability. Regulating the nucleation and crystallization of perovskite film is an important route to improving the performance of CsPbI3PSCs. Herein, we explored cesium acetate (CsAc) as additive to manipulate the crystallization process of CsPbI3perovskite films. By involving in the intermediate phase DMA1-xCsxPbI3-yAcyof perovskite, the pseudo-halide acetate (Ac-) can retard the ion exchange reaction between DMA+and Cs+, leading to a perovskite with dense morphology, low defect density, and a long carrier lifetime. As a result, the optimal CsPbI3PSCs yielded a high power conversion efficiency of 18.3%. Moreover, the encapsulated devices showed excellent operational stability and the devices retained their initial performance following 500 h of operation at the maximum power point under one-sun illumination in ambient conditions.
ABSTRACT
All-perovskite tandem solar cells hold the promise of surpassing the efficiency limits of single-junction solar cells1-3; however, until now, the best-performing all-perovskite tandem solar cells have exhibited lower certified efficiency than have single-junction perovskite solar cells4,5. A thick mixed Pb-Sn narrow-bandgap subcell is needed to achieve high photocurrent density in tandem solar cells6, yet this is challenging owing to the short carrier diffusion length within Pb-Sn perovskites. Here we develop ammonium-cation-passivated Pb-Sn perovskites with long diffusion lengths, enabling subcells that have an absorber thickness of approximately 1.2 µm. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that widely used phenethylammonium cations are only partially adsorbed on the surface defective sites at perovskite crystallization temperatures. The passivator adsorption is predicted to be enhanced using 4-trifluoromethyl-phenylammonium (CF3-PA), which exhibits a stronger perovskite surface-passivator interaction than does phenethylammonium. By adding a small amount of CF3-PA into the precursor solution, we increase the carrier diffusion length within Pb-Sn perovskites twofold, to over 5 µm, and increase the efficiency of Pb-Sn perovskite solar cells to over 22%. We report a certified efficiency of 26.4% in all-perovskite tandem solar cells, which exceeds that of the best-performing single-junction perovskite solar cells. Encapsulated tandem devices retain more than 90% of their initial performance after 600 h of operation at the maximum power point under 1 Sun illumination in ambient conditions.
ABSTRACT
In recent years, metal halide perovskites have been widely investigated to fabricate photodetectors for image sensing due to the excellent photoelectric performance, tunable bandgap, and low-cost solution preparation process. In this review, a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in perovskite photodetectors for image sensing is provided. First, the key performance parameters and the basic device types of photodetectors are briefly introduced. Then, the recent developments of image sensors on the basis of different dimensional perovskite materials, including 0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D perovskite materials, are highlighted. Besides the device structures and photoelectric properties of perovskite image sensors, the preparation methods of perovskite photodetector arrays are also analyzed. Subsequently, the single-pixel imaging of perovskite photodetectors and the strategies to fabricate narrowband perovskite photodetectors for color discrimination are discussed. Finally, the potential challenges and possible solutions for the future development of perovskite image sensors are presented.
ABSTRACT
Here we report the fabrication of high-performance ultraviolet photodetectors based on a heterojunction device structure in which ZnO quantum dots were used to decorate Zn2SnO4 nanowires. Systematic investigations have shown their ultrahigh light-to-dark current ratio (up to 6.8 × 104), specific detectivity (up to 9.0 × 1017 Jones), photoconductive gain (up to 1.1 × 107), fast response, and excellent stability. Compared with a pristine Zn2SnO4 nanowire, a quantum dot decorated nanowire demonstrated about 10 times higher photocurrent and responsivity. Device physics modeling showed that their high performance originates from the rational energy band engineering, which allows efficient separation of electron-hole pairs at the interfaces between ZnO quantum dots and a Zn2SnO4 nanowire. As a result of band engineering, holes migrate to ZnO quantum dots, which increases electron concentration and lifetime in the nanowire conduction channel, leading to significantly improved photoresponse. The enhancement mechanism found in this work can also be used to guide the design of high-performance photodetectors based on other nanomaterials. Furthermore, flexible ultraviolet photodetectors were fabricated and integrated into a 10 × 10 device array, which constitutes a high-performance flexible ultraviolet image sensor. These intriguing results suggest that the band alignment engineering on nanowires can be rationally achieved using compound semiconductor quantum dots. This can lead to largely improved device performance. Particularly for ZnO quantum dot decorated Zn2SnO4 nanowires, these decorated nanowires may find broad applications in future flexible and wearable electronics.
ABSTRACT
One-dimensional (1D) semiconducting heterostructures have been widely studied for optoelectronics applications because of their unique geometry and attractive physical properties. In this study, we successfully synthesized 1D ZnS/CdS heterostructures, which can be used to fabricate high performance ultraviolet/visible photodetectors. Due to the separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs, the resultant photodetector showed excellent photoresponse properties, including ultrahigh Ion/Ioff ratios (up to 10(5)) and specific detectivity (2.23 × 10(14) Jones), relatively fast response speed (5 ms), good stability and reproducibility. Moreover, the as-fabricated flexible photodetectors showed great mechanical stability under different bending conditions. Our results revealed the possibility of 1D ZnS/CdS heterostructures for application in the detection of UV and visible light. The main advantages of the heterostructures have great potential application for future optoelectronic devices.
ABSTRACT
Hierarchical CdS nanowires were synthesized via a facile vapor transport method, which were used to fabricate both rigid and flexible visible-light photodetectors. Studies found that the rigid photodetectors on SiO2/Si substrate showed ultrahigh photo-dark current ratio up to 1.96 × 10(4), several orders of magnitude higher than previously reported CdS nanostructures, as well as high specific detectivity (4.27 × 10(12) Jones), fast response speed and excellent environmental stability. Highly flexible photodetectors were also fabricated on polyimide substrate, which exhibited comparable photoresponse performance as the rigid one. In addition, the as-prepared flexible devices displayed excellent mechanical flexibility, electrical stability and folding endurance. The results indicate that the hierarchical CdS nanowires may be good candidates for nanoscale optoelectronic devices such as high-efficiency photoswitches and highly photosensitive detectors.