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Sublimed C60 for efficient and repeatable perovskite-based solar cells

Author

Listed:
  • Ahmed A. Said

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Erkan Aydin

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Esma Ugur

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Zhaojian Xu

    (Princeton University)

  • Caner Deger

    (Marmara University)

  • Badri Vishal

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Aleš Vlk

    (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)

  • Pia Dally

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Bumin K. Yildirim

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Randi Azmi

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Jiang Liu

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Edward A. Jackson

    (Nano-C, Inc., 33 Southwest Park)

  • Holly M. Johnson

    (Princeton University)

  • Manting Gui

    (Princeton University)

  • Henning Richter

    (Nano-C, Inc., 33 Southwest Park)

  • Anil R. Pininti

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Helen Bristow

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Maxime Babics

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Arsalan Razzaq

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Thomas G. Allen

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

  • Martin Ledinský

    (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)

  • Ilhan Yavuz

    (Marmara University)

  • Barry P. Rand

    (Princeton University)

  • Stefaan De Wolf

    (Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE))

Abstract

Thermally evaporated C60 is a near-ubiquitous electron transport layer in state-of-the-art p–i–n perovskite-based solar cells. As perovskite photovoltaic technologies are moving toward industrialization, batch-to-batch reproducibility of device performances becomes crucial. Here, we show that commercial as-received (99.75% pure) C60 source materials may coalesce during repeated thermal evaporation processes, jeopardizing such reproducibility. We find that the coalescence is due to oxygen present in the initial source powder and leads to the formation of deep states within the perovskite bandgap, resulting in a systematic decrease in solar cell performance. However, further purification (through sublimation) of the C60 to 99.95% before evaporation is found to hinder coalescence, with the associated solar cell performances being fully reproducible after repeated processing. We verify the universality of this behavior on perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells by demonstrating their open-circuit voltages and fill factors to remain at 1950 mV and 81% respectively, over eight repeated processes using the same sublimed C60 source material. Notably, one of these cells achieved a certified power conversion efficiency of 30.9%. These findings provide insights crucial for the advancement of perovskite photovoltaic technologies towards scaled production with high process yield.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmed A. Said & Erkan Aydin & Esma Ugur & Zhaojian Xu & Caner Deger & Badri Vishal & Aleš Vlk & Pia Dally & Bumin K. Yildirim & Randi Azmi & Jiang Liu & Edward A. Jackson & Holly M. Johnson & Manting , 2024. "Sublimed C60 for efficient and repeatable perovskite-based solar cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-44974-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44974-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hanul Min & Do Yoon Lee & Junu Kim & Gwisu Kim & Kyoung Su Lee & Jongbeom Kim & Min Jae Paik & Young Ki Kim & Kwang S. Kim & Min Gyu Kim & Tae Joo Shin & Sang Seok, 2021. "Perovskite solar cells with atomically coherent interlayers on SnO2 electrodes," Nature, Nature, vol. 598(7881), pages 444-450, October.
    2. Guan-Wu Wang & Koichi Komatsu & Yasujiro Murata & Motoo Shiro, 1997. "Synthesis and X-ray structure of dumb-bell-shaped C120," Nature, Nature, vol. 387(6633), pages 583-586, June.
    3. Erkan Aydin & Thomas G. Allen & Michele De Bastiani & Lujia Xu & Jorge Ávila & Michael Salvador & Emmanuel Van Kerschaver & Stefaan De Wolf, 2020. "Interplay between temperature and bandgap energies on the outdoor performance of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 5(11), pages 851-859, November.
    4. Erkan Aydin & Esma Ugur & Bumin K. Yildirim & Thomas G. Allen & Pia Dally & Arsalan Razzaq & Fangfang Cao & Lujia Xu & Badri Vishal & Aren Yazmaciyan & Ahmed A. Said & Shynggys Zhumagali & Randi Azmi , 2023. "Enhanced optoelectronic coupling for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells," Nature, Nature, vol. 623(7988), pages 732-738, November.
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