Flattening Grain-Boundary Grooves for Perovskite Solar Cells with High Optomechanical Reliability

Optomechanical reliability has emerged as an important criterion for evaluating the performance and commercialization potential of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to the mechanical-property mismatch of metal halide perovskites with other device layer. In this work, grain-boundary grooves, a rarely discussed film microstructural characteristic, are found to impart significant effects on the optomechanical reliability of perovskite-substrate heterointerfaces and thus PSC performance. By pre-burying iso-butylammonium chloride additive in the electron-transport layer (ETL), GB grooves (GBGs) are flattened and an optomechanically reliable perovskite heterointerface that resists photothermal fatigue is created. The improved mechanical integrity of the ETL-perovskite heterointerfaces also benefits the charge transport and chemical stability by facilitating carrier injection and reducing moisture or solvent trapping, respectively. Accordingly, high-performance PSCs which exhibit efficiency retentions of 94.8% under 440 h damp heat test (85% RH and 85 degrees C), and 93.0% under 2000 h continuous light soaking are achieved.

Automated summary

This study reveals that the microstructural characteristic of grain-boundary grooves significantly affects the optomechanical reliability and performance of perovskite solar cells. By adding iso-butylammonium chloride additive in the electron-transport layer, the mechanical integrity of the perovskite heterointerface is improved, leading to enhanced charge transport and chemical stability. As a result, high-performance perovskite solar cells with excellent efficiency retention under harsh conditions are achieved.