Engineering metal halide PEROvskites by VAPour deposition

Introduction

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have been in the spotlight of scientific research for over a decade due to their remarkable properties and performance in solar cells. Their future relies on a deeper understanding of their fundamental properties, better control of their structure, and implementation by scalable deposition methods.

Vapour Deposition Advantages

While most research efforts are dedicated to the solution processing of MHPs, vapour deposition holds many benefits. It is a solvent-free, scalable method of high industrial relevance offering:

• High throughput
• Homogeneity
• Material economy
• Safety
• Yield
• Controllability

Despite these clear advantages, the development of engineering approaches to precisely control the properties of MHPs by vapour deposition remains in its infancy.

Project Objectives

In PEROVAP, I will develop novel routes for engineering MHPs by vapour deposition and the fundamental understanding of their growth and crystallisation, thus enabling new material structures with tailor-made properties.

Structural Control

I will establish structural control over the phase, orientation, and microstructure of MHPs by additive engineering, and develop a new class of perovskite-organic hybrid semiconducting composites.

Electrical Doping

I will also demonstrate efficient, controllable n- and p- electrical doping of vapour deposited MHPs and create graded MHP layers with tailored optoelectronic properties and energetic landscape.

Methodology

To realise this, I propose a unique combinatorial fabrication-characterisation methodology for their in-situ spectroscopic characterisation. This approach will allow us to efficiently explore the multi-dimensional parameter space required to engineer the MHP properties and enable the development of the fundamental understanding of the film formation processes.

Integration and Future Directions

Finally, to reveal the structure-property relations, the engineered MHPs will be integrated into novel solar cell architectures. The approaches developed in PEROVAP will open a new path for MHP electronics and optoelectronics far beyond state-of-the-art.