Project R-17040

Interface Engineering by Vacuum-Deposited Molecular Interlayers for Scalable and Stable Perovskite Photovoltaics (Research)

Metal halide perovskite solar cells have achieved record efficiencies, yet large-area reproducibility and operational stability remain major barriers to industrial deployment. A key source of performance loss and degradation lies in defective and energetically mismatched interfaces between the perovskite absorber and charge-transport layers, which promote non-radiative recombination, ion migration, and thermal instability. This project aims to develop and understand vacuum-deposited molecular interfacial passivation layers as a scalable, solvent-free strategy for interface engineering in perovskite photovoltaics. Using thermal evaporation, ultrathin self-assembled monolayers and dipolar molecular interlayers will be deposited with sub-nanometer thickness control to passivate both bottom (hole transport layer/perovskite) and top (perovskite/electron transport layer) interfaces. Interface-sensitive spectroscopy and device-level electrical analysis will reveal how these interlayers modify energetics, suppress recombination, and reduce voltage losses. The optimized strategies will be transferred from small-area cells to large-area devices (up to 100 cm2) and validated in perovskite/silicon tandems. Finally, accelerated aging will identify stability-limiting pathways and the role of interfacial passivation. The project will deliver scalable, manufacturing-relevant interface passivation concepts for efficient and stable perovskite solar technologies.

01 November 2026 - 31 October 2030