Electron-beam-induced degradation of halide-perovskite-related semiconductor nanomaterials

The instability of lead halide perovskites in various application-related conditions is a key challenge to be resolved. We investigated the formation of metal nanoparticles during transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging of perovskite-related metal halide compounds. The metal nanoparticle formation on these materials originates from stimulated desorption of halogen under electron beams and subsequent aggregation of metal atoms. Based on shared mechanisms, the TEM-based degradation test can help to evaluate the material stability against light irradiation.