Research Details

 

Metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted significant research attention in the past years and are regarded as a promising candidate for next-generation photovoltaic technology. This unprecedented surge in device performance is a testament to the extent to which PSCs upended the scientific knowledge of solution-processed photovoltaic devices. This remarkable success can largely be ascribed to a steadily improved device design, combined with optimization of the employed materials: from the first mesostructured configuration – a legacy of the evolution of PSCs from the work on dye-sensitized solar cells – to the planar thin-film design; and from the early methyl-ammonium lead iodide perovskite to the quadruple-cation mixed-halide perovskite.

PSCs can be fabricated either in the n‐i‐p or p‐i‐n device configuration; the first letter refers to which contact was deposited first, as sketched in Figure 1. Beyond nomenclature, the device configuration influences several physical properties. Therefore, at KPV-LAB we develop novel charge selective contacts and passivation techniques aiming high performance.

Figure 1. Schematic representation of n‐i‐p and p‐i‐n PSCs with a detailed view of the perovskite/ETL interface. (Source: Aydin, E., De Bastiani, M., De Wolf, S., Defect and Contact Passivation for Perovskite Solar Cells. Adv. Mater. 2019, 31, 1900428.)

Currently, KPV-LAB has focused on developing large-area compatible fabrication methods for high-performance solar cells using emerging hybrid perovskite material systems which include mixed cations and mixed halides. We majorly work on precursor-process-structure-property-performance relationship for hybrid lead halide perovskites, then translate these lessons into scalable processes, with the aim of achieving PCE > 25% and extended stability.

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