The importance of moisture in hybrid lead halide perovskite thin film fabrication

Moisture, in the form of ambient humidity, has a significant impact on methylammonium lead halide perovskite films. In particular, due to the hygroscopic nature of the methylammonium component, moisture plays a significant role during film formation. This issue has so far not been well understood an...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Eperon, GE, Habisreutinger, SN, Leijtens, T, Bruijnaers, BJ, van Franeker, JJ, deQuilettes, DW, Pathak, S, Sutton, RJ, Grancini, G, Ginger, DS, Janssen, RAJ, Petrozza, A, Snaith, HJ
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: American Chemical Society 2015
_version_ 1797112316597108736
author Eperon, GE
Habisreutinger, SN
Leijtens, T
Bruijnaers, BJ
van Franeker, JJ
deQuilettes, DW
Pathak, S
Sutton, RJ
Grancini, G
Ginger, DS
Janssen, RAJ
Petrozza, A
Snaith, HJ
author_facet Eperon, GE
Habisreutinger, SN
Leijtens, T
Bruijnaers, BJ
van Franeker, JJ
deQuilettes, DW
Pathak, S
Sutton, RJ
Grancini, G
Ginger, DS
Janssen, RAJ
Petrozza, A
Snaith, HJ
author_sort Eperon, GE
collection OXFORD
description Moisture, in the form of ambient humidity, has a significant impact on methylammonium lead halide perovskite films. In particular, due to the hygroscopic nature of the methylammonium component, moisture plays a significant role during film formation. This issue has so far not been well understood and neither has the impact of moisture on the physical properties of resultant films. Herein, we carry out a comprehensive and well-controlled study of the effect of moisture exposure on methylammonium lead halide perovskite film formation and properties. We find that films formed in higher humidity atmospheres have a less continuous morphology but significantly improved photoluminescence, and that film formation is faster. In photovoltaic devices, we find that exposure to moisture, either in the precursor solution or in the atmosphere during formation, results in significantly improved open-circuit voltages and hence overall device performance. We then find that by post-treating dry films with moisture exposure, we can enhance photovoltaic performance and photoluminescence in a similar way. The enhanced photoluminescence and open-circuit voltage imply that the material quality is improved in films that have been exposed to moisture. We determine that this improvement stems from a reduction in trap density in the films, which we postulate to be due to the partial solvation of the methylammonium component and “self-healing” of the perovskite lattice. This work highlights the importance of controlled moisture exposure when fabricating high-performance perovskite devices and provides guidelines for the optimum environment for fabrication. Moreover, we note that often an unintentional water exposure is likely responsible for the high performance of solar cells produced in some laboratories, whereas careful synthesis and fabrication in a dry environment will lead to lower-performing devices.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T08:22:29Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:fa9d8f95-8875-4a52-a1f5-8da39a802224
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T08:22:29Z
publishDate 2015
publisher American Chemical Society
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:fa9d8f95-8875-4a52-a1f5-8da39a8022242024-02-01T11:46:03ZThe importance of moisture in hybrid lead halide perovskite thin film fabricationJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:fa9d8f95-8875-4a52-a1f5-8da39a802224EnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordAmerican Chemical Society2015Eperon, GEHabisreutinger, SNLeijtens, TBruijnaers, BJvan Franeker, JJdeQuilettes, DWPathak, SSutton, RJGrancini, GGinger, DSJanssen, RAJPetrozza, ASnaith, HJMoisture, in the form of ambient humidity, has a significant impact on methylammonium lead halide perovskite films. In particular, due to the hygroscopic nature of the methylammonium component, moisture plays a significant role during film formation. This issue has so far not been well understood and neither has the impact of moisture on the physical properties of resultant films. Herein, we carry out a comprehensive and well-controlled study of the effect of moisture exposure on methylammonium lead halide perovskite film formation and properties. We find that films formed in higher humidity atmospheres have a less continuous morphology but significantly improved photoluminescence, and that film formation is faster. In photovoltaic devices, we find that exposure to moisture, either in the precursor solution or in the atmosphere during formation, results in significantly improved open-circuit voltages and hence overall device performance. We then find that by post-treating dry films with moisture exposure, we can enhance photovoltaic performance and photoluminescence in a similar way. The enhanced photoluminescence and open-circuit voltage imply that the material quality is improved in films that have been exposed to moisture. We determine that this improvement stems from a reduction in trap density in the films, which we postulate to be due to the partial solvation of the methylammonium component and “self-healing” of the perovskite lattice. This work highlights the importance of controlled moisture exposure when fabricating high-performance perovskite devices and provides guidelines for the optimum environment for fabrication. Moreover, we note that often an unintentional water exposure is likely responsible for the high performance of solar cells produced in some laboratories, whereas careful synthesis and fabrication in a dry environment will lead to lower-performing devices.
spellingShingle Eperon, GE
Habisreutinger, SN
Leijtens, T
Bruijnaers, BJ
van Franeker, JJ
deQuilettes, DW
Pathak, S
Sutton, RJ
Grancini, G
Ginger, DS
Janssen, RAJ
Petrozza, A
Snaith, HJ
The importance of moisture in hybrid lead halide perovskite thin film fabrication
title The importance of moisture in hybrid lead halide perovskite thin film fabrication
title_full The importance of moisture in hybrid lead halide perovskite thin film fabrication
title_fullStr The importance of moisture in hybrid lead halide perovskite thin film fabrication
title_full_unstemmed The importance of moisture in hybrid lead halide perovskite thin film fabrication
title_short The importance of moisture in hybrid lead halide perovskite thin film fabrication
title_sort importance of moisture in hybrid lead halide perovskite thin film fabrication
work_keys_str_mv AT eperonge theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT habisreutingersn theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT leijtenst theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT bruijnaersbj theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT vanfranekerjj theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT dequilettesdw theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT pathaks theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT suttonrj theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT grancinig theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT gingerds theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT janssenraj theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT petrozzaa theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT snaithhj theimportanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT eperonge importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT habisreutingersn importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT leijtenst importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT bruijnaersbj importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT vanfranekerjj importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT dequilettesdw importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT pathaks importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT suttonrj importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT grancinig importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT gingerds importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT janssenraj importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT petrozzaa importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication
AT snaithhj importanceofmoistureinhybridleadhalideperovskitethinfilmfabrication