10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Aerosol-assisted Synthesis of Materials for Application in Photovoltaics – TiO2 + Perovskite Layers
ROBIN WHEELUS, Shalinee Kavadiya, Pratim Biswas, Washington University in St. Louis
Abstract Number: 510 Working Group: Materials Synthesis
Abstract Perovskite solar cells’ rapidly increasing power conversion efficiency and cheap cost of production have captured the attention of researchers world-wide and are fundamental reasons why these cells have become one of the fastest growing possibilities for energy production. As mentioned in previous abstracts, however, they face major challenges with stability, particularly in humid conditions. Electro-spray has been developed as a two-step method for perovskite layer formation, allowing for cell fabrication under ambient conditions with both increased efficiency over spin coated cells and relative stability over 5.5 months1. The technique is successful largely because of the smooth perovskite surface it produces, which mitigates the perovskite-water interaction. However, electro-spray’s effectiveness over a rough surface morphology, like the one obtained from aerosol chemical vapor deposition, has not previously been investigated. This research aims to address questions as to how the electron transport layer (ETL) and perovskite layers interact when the two are deposited using ACVD and electro-spray respectively. Ideally, we aim for a perovskite layer that comes into contact with the entire surface of the electron transport layer in order to take advantage of both the shorter electron pathways from electrons separating at the base of the columns and the increased surface area from the modified morphology. Furthermore, in order to benefit from electrospray’s primary advantage, we also want to maintain a smooth perovskite surface above the ETL. We will compare cross-sectional SEM images and power conversion efficiencies for spin-coated and electro-spray deposited perovskite cells with columnar electron transport layers in order to understand and improve the compatibility of these two aerosol techniques in this application.
Reference 1. Kavadiya et al., “Electrospray-assisted fabrication of efficient and highly stable perovskite solar cells at ambient conditions” Advanced Energy Materials, 1700210, 2017.