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Title: Abnormal Current–Voltage Hysteresis Induced by Reverse Bias in Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Photovoltaics

Abstract

In this study, reverse bias (RB)-induced abnormal hysteresis is investigated in perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) with nickel oxide (NiOx)/methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) interfaces. Through comprehensive current-voltage (I-V) characterization and bias-dependent external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements, we demonstrate that this phenomenon is caused by the interfacial ion accumulation intrinsic to CH3NH3PbI3. Subsequently, via systematic analysis we discover that the abnormal I-V behavior is remarkably similar to tunnel diode I-V characteristics and is due to the formation of a transient tunnel junction at NiOx/CH3NH3PbI3 interfaces under RB. The detailed analysis navigating the complexities of I-V behavior in CH3NH3PbI3-based solar cells provided here ultimately illuminates possibilities in modulating ion motion and hysteresis via interfacial engineering in PVSCs. Moreover, this work shows that RB can alter how CH3NH3PbI3 contributes to the functional nature of devices and provides the first steps toward approaching functional perovskite interfaces in new ways for metrology and analysis of complex transient processes.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); Asian Office of Aerospace R&D; National Science Foundation (NSF)
Contributing Org.:
The authors acknowledge the support from the Asian Office of Aerospace R&D (FA2386-15-1-4106), the Office of Naval Research (N00014-11-1-0246), and the Department of Energy SunShot (DE-EE0006710). This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (DGE-0718124, DGE- 1256082). A.K.-Y.J. thanks the Boeing-Johnson Foundation for their financial support. The characterization facility in Hillhouse Research Group at University of Washington was used for bias-dependent external quantum efficiency measurements. The authors thank Po-Wei Liang for help with AFM measurements.
OSTI Identifier:
1343580
Report Number(s):
DOE-UW-Jen-14
Journal ID: ISSN 1948-7185
Grant/Contract Number:  
EE0006710; FA2386-15-1-4106; N00014-11-1-0246; DGE-0718124
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 7; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 1948-7185
Publisher:
American Chemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Rajagopal, Adharsh, Williams, Spencer T., Chueh, Chu-Chen, and Jen, Alex K. -Y. Abnormal Current–Voltage Hysteresis Induced by Reverse Bias in Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Photovoltaics. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b00058.
Rajagopal, Adharsh, Williams, Spencer T., Chueh, Chu-Chen, & Jen, Alex K. -Y. Abnormal Current–Voltage Hysteresis Induced by Reverse Bias in Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Photovoltaics. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b00058
Rajagopal, Adharsh, Williams, Spencer T., Chueh, Chu-Chen, and Jen, Alex K. -Y. 2016. "Abnormal Current–Voltage Hysteresis Induced by Reverse Bias in Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Photovoltaics". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b00058. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1343580.
@article{osti_1343580,
title = {Abnormal Current–Voltage Hysteresis Induced by Reverse Bias in Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Photovoltaics},
author = {Rajagopal, Adharsh and Williams, Spencer T. and Chueh, Chu-Chen and Jen, Alex K. -Y.},
abstractNote = {In this study, reverse bias (RB)-induced abnormal hysteresis is investigated in perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) with nickel oxide (NiOx)/methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) interfaces. Through comprehensive current-voltage (I-V) characterization and bias-dependent external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements, we demonstrate that this phenomenon is caused by the interfacial ion accumulation intrinsic to CH3NH3PbI3. Subsequently, via systematic analysis we discover that the abnormal I-V behavior is remarkably similar to tunnel diode I-V characteristics and is due to the formation of a transient tunnel junction at NiOx/CH3NH3PbI3 interfaces under RB. The detailed analysis navigating the complexities of I-V behavior in CH3NH3PbI3-based solar cells provided here ultimately illuminates possibilities in modulating ion motion and hysteresis via interfacial engineering in PVSCs. Moreover, this work shows that RB can alter how CH3NH3PbI3 contributes to the functional nature of devices and provides the first steps toward approaching functional perovskite interfaces in new ways for metrology and analysis of complex transient processes.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b00058},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1343580}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters},
issn = {1948-7185},
number = 6,
volume = 7,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 29 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Mon Feb 29 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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