Enabling Double Perovskite Solar Cells

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Hybrid metal halide perovskite materials combine low-cost elements with simple solution deposition, i.e. printing; and extremely high performance, similar to mainstream polycrystalline silicon photovoltaics. The materials properties are additionally similar to industry gold standard semiconductor GaAs, making them a very attractive field of research with thousands of researchers active worldwide. However, some challenges need to be overcome before commercialization of the technology can occur: stability and toxicity concerns need to be addressed. Previous attempts to replace the lead atoms in the structure have either resulted in less stable systems (Sn), or highly distorted material structures (Bi, Cu, etc.) which show very reduced materials properties and consequently low device efficiencies. This proposal seeks to address these challenges by developing new materials based on a structure related to the state-of-the-art materials: the double perovskite structure. Here, the lead atoms are replaced by alternating non-toxic alternatives which are air stable elements and can be processed from solution. Specific objectives in this First Grant Project are to develop a novel thin film deposition technique which will allow the incorporation of this type of new materials into functional devices. The successful completion of the project is expected to enable researchers world-wide to target a whole new range of perovskite materials not just for solar energy conversion but also for lighting applications.