Probing Ultrafast Interfacial Carrier Dynamics in Metal Halide Perovskite Films and Devices by Transient Reflection Spectroscopy

Interfaces in metal halide perovskite (MHP) solar cells cause carrier recombination and thereby reduce their power conversion efficiency. Here, ultrafast (picosecond to nanosecond) transient reflection (TR) spectroscopy has been used to probe interfacial carrier dynamics in thin films of the reference MHP MAPbI(3) and state-of-the-art (Cs(0.15)MA(0.15)FA(0.70))Pb(Br0.20I0.80)(3) (CsFAMA). First, MAPbI(3) films in contact with fullerene-based charge extraction layers (CTLs) in the presence and absence of LiF used as an interlayer (ITL) were studied. To quantify and discriminate between interface-induced and bulk carrier recombination, we employed a one-dimensional diffusion and recombination model. The interface-induced carrier recombination velocity was found to be 1229 +/- 78 cm s(-1) in nonpassivated MAPbI(3) films, which was increased to 2248 +/- 75 cm s(-1) when MAPbI(3) interfaced directly with C-60, whereas it was reduced to 145 +/- 63 cm s(-1) when inserting a 1 nm thin LiF interlayer between MAPbI(3) and C-60, in turn improving the open-circuit voltage of devices by 33 mV. Second, the effect of surface and grain boundary passivation by PhenHCl in CsFAMA was revealed. Here, the recombination velocity decreased from 605 +/- 52 to 0.16 +/- 5.28 and 7.294 +/- 34.5 cm s(-1), respectively. The approach and data analysis presented here are immediately applicable to other perovskite/interlayer/CTL interfaces and passivation protocols, and they add to our understanding of the impact of surfaces and interfaces in MHP-based thin films on carrier recombination and device efficiency.

Automated summary

This study investigates the influence of interfaces on carrier dynamics in metal halide perovskite solar cells using ultrafast transient reflection spectroscopy. The results show that inserting a LiF interlayer can reduce interface-induced carrier recombination velocity and improve the open-circuit voltage of the devices, while using a passivation agent can effectively decrease the carrier recombination velocity at the surface and grain boundaries.