Longbin Qiu

Engineering Interface Structure to Improve Efficiency and Stability of Organometal Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

The rapid rise of power conversion efficiency (PCE) of low cost organometal halide perovskite solar cells suggests that these cells are a promising alternative to conventional photovoltaic technology. However, anomalous hysteresis and unsatisfactory stability hinder the industrialization of perovskite solar cells. Interface engineering is of importance for the fabrication of highly stable and hysteresis free perovskite solar cells. Here we report that a surface modification of the widely used TiO2 compact layer can give insight into interface interaction in perovskite solar cells. A highest PCE of 18.5% is obtained using anatase TiO2, but the device is not stable and degrades rapidly. With an amorphous TiO2 compact layer, the devices show a prolonged lifetime but a lower PCE and more pronounced hysteresis. To achieve a high PCE and long lifetime simultaneously, an insulating polymer interface layer is deposited on top of TiO2. Three polymers, each with a different functional group (hydroxyl, amino, or aromatic group), are investigated to further understand the relation of interface structure and device PCE as well as stability. We show that it is necessary to consider not only the band alignment at the interface, but also interface chemical interactions between the thin interface layer and the perovskite film. The hydroxyl and amino groups interact with CH3NH3PbI3 leading to poor PCEs. In contrast, deposition of a thin layer of polymer consisting of an aromatic group to prevent the direct contact of TiO2 and CH3NH3PbI3 can significantly enhance the device stability, while the same time maintaining a high PCE. The fact that a polymer interface layer on top of TiO2 can enhance device stability, strongly suggests that the interface interaction between TiO2 and CH3NH3PbI3 plays a crucial role. Our work highlights the importance of interface structure and paves the way for further optimization of PCEs and stability of perovskite solar cells.

Methylammonium Lead Bromide Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Organo-lead-halide perovskites are promising materials for optoelectronic applications. Perovskite solar cells have reached power conversion efficiencies of over 22%, and perovskite light-emitting diodes have recently achieved over 11% external quantum efficiency. To date, most research on perovskite light-emitting diodes has focused on solution-processed films. There are many advantages of a vapor-based growth process to prepare perovskites, including ease of patterning, ability to batch process, and material compatibility. We investigated an all-vapor perovskite growth process by chemical vapor deposition and demonstrated luminance up to 560 cd/m2.

Spin-Coated Crystalline Molecular Monolayers for Performance Enhancement in Organic Field-Effect Transistors

In organic field-effect transistors, the first few molecular layers at the semiconductor/dielectric interface are regarded as the active channel for charge transport; thus, great efforts have been devoted to the modification and optimization of molecular packing at such interfaces. Here, we report organic monolayers with large-area uniformity and high crystallinity deposited by an antisolvent-assisted spin-coating method acting as the templating layers between the dielectric and thermally evaporated semiconducting layers. The predeposited crystalline monolayers significantly enhance the film crystallinity of upper layers and the overall performance of transistors using these hybrid-deposited semiconducting films, showing a high carrier mobility up to 11.3 cm2 V-1 s-1. Additionally, patterned transistor arrays composed of the templating monolayers are fabricated, yielding an average mobility of 7.7 cm2 V-1 s-1. This work demonstrates a promising method for fabricating low-cost, high-performance, and large-area organic electronics.

Interfacial Flat-Lying Molecular Monolayers for Performance Enhancement in Organic Field-Effect Transistors

Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are the most fundamental device units in organic electronics. Interface engineering at the semiconductor/dielectric interface is an effective approach for improving device performance, particularly for enhancing charge transport in conducting channels. Here, we report flat-lying molecular monolayers that exhibit good uniformity and high crystallinity at the semiconductor/dielectric interface, deposited through slow thermal evaporation. Transistor devices achieve high carrier mobility up to 2.80 cm2 V-1 s-1, which represents a remarkably improvement in device performance compared with devices that are completely based on fast-evaporated films. Interfacial flat-lying monolayers benefit charge transport by suppressing the polarization of dipoles and narrowing the broadening of trap density of states. Our work provides a promising strategy for enhancing the performance of OFETs by using interfacial flat-lying molecular monolayers.