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Contact formation of C60 to thin films of formamidinium tin iodide

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Abstract

Lead-free perovskite layers may provide a good alternative to the commonly used lead-halide-based perovskite absorber layers in photovoltaics. Energy level alignment of the active semiconductor with contact layers is a key factor in device performance. Kelvin probe force microscopy was used during vapor deposition of C60 onto formamidinium tin iodide to investigate contact formation with detailed local resolution of these materials that are significant for photovoltaic cells. Significant differences dependent on the growth rate of C60 were detected. Sufficiently high deposition rates were essential to reach compact C60 films needed for good contact. A space charge layer larger than 90 nm within the C60 layer was established without indication of interfacial dipoles. The present analysis gives a clear indication of a well-functioning contact of fullerenes to formamidinium tin iodide that is suitable for the use in photovoltaic devices provided that thin compact fullerene films are formed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge financial support by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) via SCHL 340/21-3 and RTG 2204. We are also grateful to C. Geis for providing the estimation for the lateral resolution of the KPFM measurement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Applied Physics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 16, 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Derck Schlettwein

  2. Center for Materials Research (LaMa), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 16, 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Derck Schlettwein & Jonas Horn

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Correspondence to Derck Schlettwein.

Appendices

Supporting information

Additional results on the spatial resolution and referencing of the KPFM measurements, on the growth and work function of C60 on HOPG and on the stability of C60 deposited on FASnI3 while storing under vacuum conditions as well as X-ray diffraction of a thin film of FASnI3 are provided.

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To view supplementary material for this article, please visit https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2020.263.

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Schlettwein, D., Horn, J. Contact formation of C60 to thin films of formamidinium tin iodide. Journal of Materials Research 35, 2897–2904 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2020.263

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