Complementary bulk and surface passivations for highly efficient perovskite solar cells by gas quenching

Abstract

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has improved dramatically from 3.8% to 25.5% in only a decade. Gas quenching is a desirable method for fabricating high-efficiency cells as it does not consume antisolvents and is compatible with large-area deposition methods such as doctor blading and slot-die coating. To further improve PCEs for gas-quenched PSCs, here, we develop complementary bulk and surface passivation strategies by incorporating potassium iodide (KI) in the perovskite precursor and applying n-hexylammonium bromide (HABr) to the perovskite surface. We show that (1) KI induces a spatial-compositional change, improving grain boundary properties; (2) KI and HABr reduce traps, especially at levels close to the mid-gap; and (3) HABr greatly improves the built-in potential of the device, thereby improving voltage output. The champion device achieves a steady-state PCE of 23.6% with a V-OC of 1.23V, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest for PSC by gas quenching to date.