Inkjet‐Printed Micrometer‐Thick Perovskite Solar Cells with Large Columnar Grains

Abstract

Abstract Transferring the high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of spin‐coated perovskite solar cells (PSCs) on the laboratory scale to large‐area photovoltaic modules requires a significant advance in scalable fabrication methods. Digital inkjet printing promises scalable, material, and cost‐efficient deposition of perovskite thin films on a wide range of substrates and in arbitrary shapes. In this work, high‐quality inkjet‐printed triple‐cation (methylammonium, formamidinium, and cesium) perovskite layers with exceptional thicknesses of >1 µm are demonstrated, enabling unprecedentedly high PCEs > 21% and stabilized power output efficiencies > 18% for inkjet‐printed PSCs. In‐depth characterization shows that the thick inkjet‐printed perovskite thin films deposited using the process developed herein exhibit a columnar crystal structure, free of horizontal grain boundaries, which extend over the entire thickness. A thin film thickness of around 1.5 µm is determined as optimal for PSC for this process. Up to this layer thickness X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy analysis confirms the expected stoichiometric perovskite composition at the surface and shows strong deviations and inhomogeneities for thicker thin films. The micrometer‐thick perovskite thin films exhibit remarkably long charge carrier lifetimes, highlighting their excellent optoelectronic characteristics. They are particularly promising for next‐generation inkjet‐printed perovskite solar cells, photodetectors, and X‐ray detectors.