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Abstract Halide perovskites solar cells are now approaching commercialisation. In this transition from academic research towards industrialisation, standardized testing protocols and reliable dissemination of performance metrics are crucial. In this study, we analyze data from over 16,000 publications in the Perovskite Database to investigate the assumed equality between the integrated external quantum efficiency and the short circuit current from JV measurements. We find a systematic discrepancy with the JV-values being on average 4% larger. This discrepancy persists across time, perovskite composition, and device architecture, indicating the need to explore new perovskite physics and update reporting protocols and assumptions in the field.

Abstract So far, single-junction flexible PSCs have been lacking in efficiency compared to rigid PSCs. Recently, > 23% have been reported. We therefore focus on understanding the differences between rigid and flexible substrates. One often neglected parameter is the different surface roughness which directly affects the perovskite film formation. Therefore, we adjust the layer thickness of SnO2 and the perovskite layers. Furthermore, we introduce a PMMA layer between the perovskite and the hole transporting material (HTM), spiro-MeOTAD, to mitigate shunting pathways. In addition, the multication perovskite Rb0.02Cs0.05FA0.77MA0.16Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3 is employed, resulting in stabilized performances of 16% for a flexible ITO substrate and 19% on a rigid ITO substrate.

Predicting the performance of solar cells though analytical models is important for the theory-guided optimization of these devices. Earlier models neglect the impact of the optical generation in the quasi-neutral regions of a perovskite solar cell. Here, a new model is developed that takes optical generation in these regions into account. The model includes the full depletion approximation and the drift-diffusion transport mechanisms. A comparison with earlier models demonstrates the improved predictive power of the developed model. In addition, the accuracy of the model was assessed by comparing it prediction to experimental data obtained from working devices.

Abstract All‐inorganic perovskites have emerged as promising photovoltaic materials due to their superior thermal stability compared to their heat‐sensitive hybrid organic–inorganic counterparts. In particular, CsPbI2Br shows the highest potential for developing thermally‐stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs) among all‐inorganic compositions. However, controlling the crystallinity and morphology of all‐inorganic compositions is a significant challenge. Here, a simple, thermal gradient‐ and antisolvent‐free method is reported to control the crystallization of CsPbI2Br films. Optical in situ characterization is used to investigate the dynamic film formation during spin‐coating and annealing to understand and optimize the evolving film properties. This leads to high‐quality perovskite films with micrometer‐scale grain sizes with a noteworthy performance of 17% (≈16% stabilized), fill factor (FF) of 80.5%, and open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.27 V. Moreover, excellent phase and thermal stability are demonstrated even after extreme thermal stressing at 300 °C.

Abstract Wide band-gap perovskite solar cells have the potential for a relatively high output voltage and resilience in a degradation-inducing environment. Investigating the reasons why high voltages with adequate output power have not been realized yet is an underexplored part in perovskite research although it is of paramount interest for multijunction solar cells. One reason is interfacial carrier recombination that leads to reduced carrier lifetimes and voltage loss. To further improve the Voc of methylammonium lead tri-bromide (MAPbBr3), that has a band-gap of 2.3 eV, interface passivation technique is an important strategy. Here we demonstrate two ultrathin passivation layers consisting of PCBM and PMMA, that can effectively passivate defects at the TiO2/perovskite and perovskite/spiro-OMeTAD interfaces, respectively. In addition, perovskite crystallization was investigated with the established anti-solvent method and the novel flash infrared annealing (FIRA) with and without passivation layers. These modifications significantly suppress interfacial recombination providing a pathway for improved VOC’s from 1.27 to 1.41 V using anti solvent and from 1.12 to 1.36 V using FIRA. Furthermore, we obtained more stable devices through passivation after 140 h where the device retained 70% of the initial performance value.

Metal halide perovskites are the first solution processed semiconductors that can compete in their functionality with conventional semiconductors, such as silicon. Over the past several years, perovskite semiconductors have reported breakthroughs in various optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells, photodetectors, light emitting and memory devices, and so on. Until now, perovskite semiconductors face challenges regarding their stability, reproducibility, and toxicity. In this Roadmap, we combine the expertise of chemistry, physics, and device engineering from leading experts in the perovskite research community to focus on the fundamental material properties, the fabrication methods, characterization and photophysical properties, perovskite devices, and current challenges in this field. We develop a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art and offer readers an informed perspective of where this field is heading and what challenges we have to overcome to get to successful commercialization.

Abstract Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged recently as promising candidates for next generation photovoltaics and have reached power conversion efficiencies of 25.2%. Among the various methods to advance solar cell technologies, the implementation of nanoparticles with plasmonic effects is an alternative way for photon and charge carrier management. Surface plasmons at the interfaces or surfaces of sophisticated metal nanostructures are able to interact with electromagnetic radiation. The properties of surface plasmons can be tuned specifically by controlling the shape, size, and dielectric environment of the metal nanostructures. Thus, incorporating metallic nanostructures in solar cells is reported as a possible strategy to explore the enhancement of energy conversion efficiency mainly in semi‐transparent solar cells. One particularly interesting option is PSCs with plasmonic structures enable thinner photovoltaic absorber layers without compromising their thickness while maintaining a high light harvest. In this Review, the effects of plasmonic nanostructures in electron transport material, perovskite absorbers, the hole transport material, as well as enhancement of effective refractive index of the medium and the resulting solar cell performance are presented. Aside from providing general considerations and a review of plasmonic nanostructures, the current efforts to introduce these plasmonic structures into semi‐transparent solar cells are outlined.

Abstract The molecular structure of the hole transporting material (HTM) play an important role in hole extraction in a perovskite solar cells. It has a significant influence on the molecular planarity, energy level, and charge transport properties. Understanding the relationship between the chemical structure of the HTM's and perovskite solar cells (PSCs) performance is crucial for the continued development of the efficient organic charge transporting materials. Using molecular engineering approach we have constructed a series of the hole transporting materials with strategically placed aliphatic substituents to investigate the relationship between the chemical structure of the HTMs and the photovoltaic performance. PSCs employing the investigated HTMs demonstrate power conversion efficiency values in the range of 9% to 16.8% highlighting the importance of the optimal molecular structure. An inappropriately placed side group could compromise the device performance. Due to the ease of synthesis and moieties employed in its construction, it offers a wide range of possible structural modifications. This class of molecules has a great potential for structural optimization in order to realize simple and efficient small molecule based HTMs for perovskite solar cells application.

The origin of hysteresis remains an open question in lead-halide perovskite solar cells. Here, Meloni et al. investigate the causes of hysteresis using an experimental and computational approach, finding that the observed hysteresis is due to halide ion-vacancy movement in the perovskite.

Perovskite solar cells are still plagued by hysteresis, despite the good charge transport properties of the perovskite counterpart. Here, the authors dope the mesoporous TiO2scaffold with lithium to improve the transport properties of this other important component of solar cells, and reduce the hysteresis.

The achievement of high efficiency and high stability in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) requires optimal selection and evaluation of the various components. After a brief introduction to the perovskite materials and their historical evolution, the first part is devoted to the hole transporting material (HTM), between photoelectrode and dark counter electrode. The basic requirements for an efficient HTM are stated. Subsequently, the most used HTM, spiro-OMeTAD, is compared to alternative HTMs, both small-molecule size species and electronically conducting polymers. The second part is devoted to additives related to the performance of the perovskite light-absorbing material itself. These are related either to the modification of the composition of the material itself or to the optimization of the morphology during the perovskite preparation stage, and their effect is in the enhancement of the power conversion efficiency, the long-term stability, or the reproducibility of the properties of the PSCs. Finally, a number of spectroscopic methods based on the UV-Vis part of the electromagnetic spectrum useful for characterizing the different perovskite material types are described in the last part of this review.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have immense potential for high power conversion efficiency with an ease of fabrication procedure. The fundamental understanding of interfacial kinetics in PSCs is crucial for further improving of their photovoltaic performance. Herein we use the current-voltage (J-V) characteristics and impedance spectroscopy (IS) measurements to probe the interfacial kinetics on efficient MAPbI3 solar cells. We show that series resistance (RS) of PSCs exhibits an ohmic and non-ohmic behavior that causes a significant voltage drop across it. The Nyquist spectra as a function of applied bias reveal the characteristic features of ion motion and accumulation that is mainly associated with the MA cations in MAPbI3. With these findings, we provide an efficient way to understand the working mechanism of perovskite solar cells.

We demonstrate the transition from isolated to collective optical modes in plasmonic oligomers. Specifically, we investigate the resonant behavior of planar plasmonic hexamers and heptamers with gradually decreasing the interparticle gap separation. A pronounced Fano resonance is observed in the plasmonic heptamer for separations smaller than 60 nm. The spectral characteristics change drastically upon removal of the central nanoparticle. Our work paves the road toward complex hierarchical plasmonic oligmers with tailored optical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FAPbI3 perovskites are excellent candidates for fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with high efficiency and stability. However, these perovskites exhibit phase instability problem at room temperature. In this work, to address this challenge we use methylammonium chloride (MACl) as an additive and employed a layer-by-layer thermal evaporation technique to fabricate high-quality perovskite films on a large scale of 25 cm2. The optimized perovskite films show high crystallinity with large grains in the µm-range and reveals phase stability due to the presence of MACl after the annealing process. Finally, we achieved PSCs with 17.7% and 15.9% for active areas of 0.1 cm2 and 0.8 cm2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining inorganic–organic perovskites and crystalline silicon into a monolithic tandem solar cell has recently attracted increased attention due to the high efficiency potential of this cell architecture. Promising results with published efficiencies above 21% have been reported so far. To further increase the device performance, optical optimizations enabling device related guidelines are highly necessary. Here we experimentally show the optical influence of the ITO thickness in the interconnecting layer and fabricate an efficient monolithic tandem cell with a reduced ITO layer thickness that shows slightly improved absorption within the silicon sub-cell and a stabilized power output of 17%. Furthermore we present detailed optical simulations on experimentally relevant planar tandem stacks to give practical guidelines to reach efficiencies above 25%. By optimizing the thickness of all functional and the perovskite absorber layers, together with the optimization of the perovskite band-gap, we present a tandem stack that can yield ca 17.5 mA cm−2 current in both sub-cells at a perovskite band-gap of 1.73 eV including losses from reflection and parasitic absorption. Assuming that the higher band-gap of the perovskite absorber directly translates into a higher open circuit voltage, the perovskite sub-cell should be able to reach a value of 1.3 V. With that, realistic efficiencies above 28% are within reach for planar monolithic tandem cells in which the thickness of the perovskite top-cell and the perovskite band-gap are highly optimized. When applying light trapping schemes such as textured surfaces and by reducing the parasitic absorption of the functional layers, for example in spiro-OMeTAD, this monolithic tandem can overcome 30% power conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]