Enhanced Carrier Diffusion Enables Efficient Back-Contact Perovskite Photovoltaics

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2023 Jul 3;62(27):e202218174. doi: 10.1002/anie.202218174. Epub 2023 May 22.

Abstract

Back-contact architectures offer a promising route to improve the record efficiencies of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by eliminating parasitic light absorption. However, the performance of back-contact PSCs is limited by inadequate carrier diffusion in perovskite. Here, we report that perovskite films with a preferred out-of-plane orientation show improved carrier dynamic properties. With the addition of guanidine thiocyanate, the films exhibit carrier lifetimes and mobilities increased by 3-5 times, leading to diffusion lengths exceeding 7 μm. The enhanced carrier diffusion results from substantial suppression of nonradiative recombination and improves charge collection. Devices using such films achieve reproducible efficiencies reaching 11.2 %, among the best performances for back-contact PSCs. Our findings demonstrate the impact of carrier dynamics on back-contact PSCs and provide the basis for a new route to high-performance back-contact perovskite optoelectronic devices at low cost.

Keywords: Back-Contact Architecture; Carrier Dynamics; Crystallographic Orientation; Guanidine Thiocyanate; Perovskite Solar Cells.