In-situ Investigation of the Formation and Metastability of Formamidinium Lead Tri-iodide Perovskite Solar Cells

 

Researchers at National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of New Orleans and Arizona State University have unfolded the formation and metastability of formamidinium lead tri-iodide perovskite solar cells in a recent publication in Energy & Environmental Science  (Publication)

To achieve this they perform direct in-situ observations of the structure and chemistry of the materials over relevant spatial, temporal, and temperature scales inside electron microscopes and X-ray diffractometers under device-relevant synthesis conditions.

Figure A: STEM imaging and high resolution point resolved energy filtered valence electronic energy loss spectroscopy (VEELS) of grain boundary composition in a representative as-grown perovskite device material this composition was tracked as function of time and temperature using Hummingbird Scientific’s in-situ TEM gas holder.
Figure. (a) STEM image and (b) high resolution point resolved energy filtered valence electronic energy loss spectra (VEELS) of grain boundary composition in a representative as-grown perovskite device material. This composition was tracked as function of time and temperature using Hummingbird Scientific’s in-situ TEM gas holder.

Hummingbird Scientific’s in-situ TEM gas-cell heating holder was used to show that differences in thermal and environmental processing have important effects on the combined microstructure and chemistry of grain boundaries due to the presence of residual trapped water vapor.

This state of the art in-situ TEM characterization study provides not only new insights into the growth of an emerging class of photovoltaics, but offers perspectives into how to develop processing routines to gain control over grain boundary chemistry to ultimately apply this knowledge to assemble low-cost high-efficiency solar cells.

TEM Sample Holder - Gas Flow - FEI Model

Publication: In-situ Investigation of the Formation and Metastability of Formamidinium Lead Tri-iodide Perovskite Solar Cells

Hummingbird Scientific Gas Holder System

Other Gas Holder System Select Publications


View All News