Project R-6526

Travel grant for a long stay abroad at Oxford University (UK) (Research)

Organometal halide perovskites are new players in the field of photovoltaics. This exciting class of absorber material has made an unprecedented emergence with initial efficiencies of 2.2 % being boosted to a newly registered record value of 20.1% in only a few years. This new PV material is a crystalline material, consisting of an organic and inorganic part. It is a soft matter system, and yet possesses the desired properties to compete with conventional semiconductors as in well-established silicon technology. However, the wide range of fabrication methods and device concepts is a strong indicator of this new technology not being fully optimized. The soft matter aspect of this material promotes degradation upon exposure to stress factors such as moisture, UV and elevated temperatures. Together with the environmental burden of the degradation products, the latter obstructs the potential use of this new exciting technology in large-scale applications. Therefore understanding and controlling material properties in bulk and interfaces are becoming increasingly relevant with respect to stability and efficiency.

01 November 2015 - 30 April 2016