Effects of the washing-enhanced nucleation process on the material properties and performance of perovskite solar cells

Abstract CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) perovskite thin films were fabricated by using the one-step spin-coating method with a washing-enhanced nucleation (WEN) process under various dropping times, and the resultant thin films were characterized through the reflected-type optical microscope, atomic force microscope, transmittance spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer, photoluminescence spectrometer and water droplet contact-angle imaging system. The experimental results show that the dropping time for the WEN process strongly influences the surface morphology, surface wettability, crystallinity and refractive index of the resultant MAPbI3 thin films, which dominates the contact at the hydrophilic MAPbI3/hydrophobic 6,6-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) interface and thereby determines the photovoltaic performance. In addition, this investigation helps further understand the effects of the WEN process on the formation of a closely-packed MAPbI3 thin film.