Mitigation of Defect Formation at the NiO x /Perovskite Interface in p-i-n Perovskite Solar Cells

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Abstract
Nickel oxide (NiOx) is widely utilized as an inorganic hole transport layer (HTL) in inverted metal halide perovskite (MHP) solar cells due to its high bandgap, transparency, stability, and scalability. However, its high surface reactivity and the presence of interfacial defects at the NiOx/MHP interface negatively impact the device performance. To address these issues, the community has explored ultraviolet ozone (UVO) post-treatment of NiOx and the use of organic molecules for surface passivation. Nevertheless, the individual effects of these processes and their influence on the bulk and surface characteristics of NiOx, as well as the NiOx/MHP interface, have not been thoroughly investigated and understood. This study based on photoemission analyses reveals that the UVO process increases the NiOx reactivity and introduces defects. We identify the nature of defect states at the interface of pristine and UVO-treated NiOx with MHP and demonstrate that the implementation of MeO-2PACz (M2P) as an organic interlayer mitigates this issue. Additionally, we find that neither UVO treatment nor M2P molecule anchoring significantly impacts the bulk properties of NiOx.
Funding Information
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-17-MPGA-0012, ANR-21-CE05-0022, ANR-IEED-002-01)
  • H2020 Energy (101007084)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
  • Nanyang Technological University

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