Researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology have developed a theory that may explain the origins of perovskite solar cells' thermal stability.
The research group's analysis was focused on five types of halide compounds combining both bromide and iodide. 'This combination works particularly well because it allows for the 'tuning' of the bandgap, or the minimum amount of photon energy needed to generate electricity in the material,' they said, adding that this solution is ideal when perovskite PV devices are used in tandem solar cells.
For each of the five compounds analyzed, the researchers were able to identify stable, metastable, and unstable regions depending on temperature, light conditions, and bromide concentration. 'Our unified theory for light-induced halide segregation looks at the total free energy of the perovskite in the photovoltaic cells, both in the dark and when the cell is exposed to sunlight,' stated researcher Peter Bobbert.
The scientists say that this theory may provide technical solutions to build more stable perovskite PV devices. For example, it could help determine how much bromide you can add to the compound without making it unstable. 'By not mixing in an excessive amount of bromide, you can avoid segregation while at the same time still achieving a reasonably large bandgap that works for tandem cells,' Bobbert added.
The scientists also found that replacing organic cations with cesium may also have a stabilizing effect. They worked on a cesium-lead compound cell that is claimed to be stable up to 42% bromide concentration and have a maximum bandgap of 1.94 eV, which would be enough to make this cell applicable in tandem PV devices. 'The theory can also be readily applied to other semiconductors where the bandgap is tuned by alloying,' they concluded.
