Reinforced SnO₂ tensile-strength and “buffer-spring” interfaces for efficient inorganic perovskite solar cells

Abstract

Suppressing nonradiative recombination and releasing residual strain are prerequisites to improving the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, long-chain polyacrylic acid (PAA) is used to reinforce SnO₂ film and passivate SnO₂ defects, forming a structure similar to “reinforced concrete” with high tensile strength and fewer microcracks. Simultaneously, PAA is also introduced to the SnO₂/perovskite interface as a “buffer spring” to release residual strain, which also acts as a “dual-side passivation interlayer” to passivate the oxygen vacancies of SnO₂ and Pb dangling bonds in halide perovskites. As a result, the best inorganic CsPbBr₃ PSC achieves a champion power conversion efficiency of 10.83% with an ultrahigh open-circuit voltage of 1.674 V. The unencapsulated PSC shows excellent stability under 80% relative humidity and 80℃ over 120 days.

Keywords

charge recombination / defect passivation / inorganic perovskite solar cells / interfacial modification / strain relaxation

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2024 The Authors. Carbon Energy published by Wenzhou University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.