In Situ Observation of Crystallization Dynamics and Grain Orientation in Sequential Deposition of Metal Halide Perovskites

Metal halide perovskites have revolutionized the development of highly efficient, solution-processable solar cells. Further advancements rely on improving perovskite film qualities through a better understanding of the underlying growth mechanism. Here, a systematic in situ grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction investigation is performed, facilitated by other techniques, on the sequential deposition of formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI(3))-based perovskite films. The active chemical reaction, composition distribution, phase transition, and crystal grain orientation are all visualized following the entire perovskite formation process. Furthermore, the influences of additive ions on the crystallization speed, grain orientation, and morphology of FAPbI(3)-based films, along with their photovoltaic performances, are fully evaluated and optimized, which leads to highly reproducible and efficient perovskite solar cells. The findings provide key insights into the perovskite growth mechanism and suggest the fabrication of high-quality perovskite films for widespread optoelectronic applications.