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Abstract While the challenges associated with the stability of metal halide perovskites are well known and intensely studied, variability in electronic properties represents an equally significant, yet seldom studied, challenge that could potentially slow or inhibit the commercial viability of these systems. In this work, the contactless characterization technique time‐resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) is used to quantify the variability in electronic properties of the prototypical perovskite, methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) both between different samples, and at different locations within the same sample. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a quasi‐automated image‐analysis strategy, it is possible to evaluate the metrics of heterogeneity in surface microstructure and correlate them with the electronic properties as obtained by TRMC. Substantial intra‐sample and inter‐sample variation is observed in the mobility‐yield product in samples prepared following differing protocols, and in samples prepared following identical protocols.more » « less
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Abstract Self‐doping is a particular doping method that has been applied to a wide range of organic semiconductors. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the relationship between dopant structure and function. A structurally diverse series of self‐n‐doped perylene diimides (PDIs) is investigated to study the impact of steric encumbrance, counterion selection, and dopant/PDI tether distance on functional parameters such as doping, stability, morphology, and charge‐carrier mobility. The studies show that self‐n‐doping is best enabled by the use of sterically encumbered ammoniums with short tethers and Lewis basic counterions. Additionally, water is found to inhibit doping, which concludes that thermal degradation is merely a phenomenological feature of certain dopants, and that residual solvent evaporation is the primary driver of thermally activated doping. In situ grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering studies show that sample annealing increases the π–π stacking distance and shrinks grain boundaries for improved long‐range ordering. These features are then correlated to contactless carrier‐mobility measurements with time‐resolved microwave conductivity before and after thermal annealing. The collective relationships between structural features and functionality are finally used to establish explicit self‐n‐dopant design principles for the future design of materials with improved functionality.more » « less
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Abstract Mobilities and lifetimes of photogenerated charge carriers are core properties of photovoltaic materials and can both be characterized by contactless terahertz or microwave measurements. Here, the expertise from fifteen laboratories is combined to quantitatively model the current‐voltage characteristics of a solar cell from such measurements. To this end, the impact of measurement conditions, alternate interpretations, and experimental inter‐laboratory variations are discussed using a (Cs,FA,MA)Pb(I,Br)3halide perovskite thin‐film as a case study. At 1 sun equivalent excitation, neither transport nor recombination is significantly affected by exciton formation or trapping. Terahertz, microwave, and photoluminescence transients for the neat material yield consistent effective lifetimes implying a resistance‐free JV‐curve with a potential power conversion efficiency of 24.6 %. For grainsizes above ≈20 nm, intra‐grain charge transport is characterized by terahertz sum mobilities of ≈32 cm2V−1s−1. Drift‐diffusion simulations indicate that these intra‐grain mobilities can slightly reduce the fill factor of perovskite solar cells to 0.82, in accordance with the best‐realized devices in the literature. Beyond perovskites, this work can guide a highly predictive characterization of any emerging semiconductor for photovoltaic or photoelectrochemical energy conversion. A best practice for the interpretation of terahertz and microwave measurements on photovoltaic materials is presented.more » « less
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