Solar cell comprising an oxide-nanoparticle buffer layer and method of fabrication

• US 11,158,828 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2019
• Issued: 10/26/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Bush, Kevin Alexander, Bailie, Colin David, McGehee, Michael David, Leijtens, Tomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thinh T
• Application Number:
  US16/711,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20200136072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 438 82, 438 99, 257 40, 257461
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2031/0344 Organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02167 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0725 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/00 Constructional details relating to the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/152 the wide bandgap semiconductor comprising zinc oxide, e.g. ZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/20 comprising organic-organic junctions, e.g. donor-acceptor junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/57 comprising multiple junctions, e.g. tandem PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/81 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/82 Transparent electrodes, e.g. indium tin oxide [ITO] electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/215 comprising substituents, e.g. PCBM
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/50 Organic perovskites; Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites [HOIP], e.g. CH3NH3PbI3
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A buffer layer for protecting an organic layer during high-energy deposition of an electrically conductive layer is disclosed. Buffer layers in accordance with the present invention are particularly well suited for use in perovskite-based single-junction solar cells and double-junction solar cell structures that include at least one perovskite-based absorbing layer. In some embodiments, the buffer layer comprises a layer of oxide-based nanoparticles that is formed using solution-state processing, in which a solution comprising the nanoparticles and a volatile solvent is spin coated onto a structure that includes the organic layer. The solvent is subsequently removed in a low-temperature process that does not degrade the organic layer.

Claims

1. A method for forming an optoelectronic device, the method comprising:

providing a first organic layer;

forming a first buffer layer comprising a first plurality of oxide nanoparticles, wherein the first buffer layer is configured to protect the first organic layer during a sputter-deposition process; and

forming a first transparent conductive electrode such that it is disposed on the first buffer layer, wherein the first transparent conductive electrode includes a first layer that is formed via sputter deposition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first organic layer comprises a first perovskite.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first buffer layer is formed by operations including:

providing a first solution comprising a solvent and the first plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles of the first plurality thereof comprise a wide bandgap oxide;

distributing the first solution to form a nascent first buffer layer; and

enabling the removal of the solvent from the first solution, wherein the solvent is removed while the temperature of the optoelectronic device remains less than or equal to 200°

C.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first layer includes indium tin oxide (ITO).

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the first organic layer on a first layer stack comprising a first absorption layer having a first energy bandgap (EG);

wherein the first organic layer is formed such that is comprises a first perovskite having a second EG that is higher than the first EG; and

wherein the first layer stack includes a second transparent conductive electrode that is between the first organic layer and the first absorption layer.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

forming a second organic layer on a second layer stack comprising the first organic layer and the first absorption layer, wherein the second organic layer comprises a second perovskite having a third EG that is higher than the second EG;

forming a second buffer layer comprising a second plurality of oxide nanoparticles, the second organic layer being between the second layer stack and the second buffer layer; and

forming a third transparent conducting electrode on the second buffer layer, the third transparent electrode being formed via a sputtering process.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first absorption layer comprises a third perovskite.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of oxide nanoparticles includes at least one nanoparticle comprising a material selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide (ZnO), tin oxide (SnO₂), titanium oxide (TiO₂), tungsten oxide (W₂O₃), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), nickel oxide (NiO), and molybdenum oxide (MoO_x).

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the oxide nanoparticles of the first plurality thereof are doped with a first dopant that is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, hydrogen, indium, and gallium.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the optoelectronic device is formed such that it is a device selected from the group consisting of a solar cell, a light emitting diode, and an electrochromic.

11. A method for forming an optoelectronic device, the method comprising:

providing a first organic layer disposed on a substrate, wherein the first organic layer comprises a first perovskite;

forming a first buffer layer configured to protect the first organic layer during a sputter-deposition process, the first buffer layer comprising a first plurality of nanoparticles that includes at least one nanoparticle that comprises a wide-bandgap oxide; and

sputter depositing a first layer such that it is disposed on the first buffer layer and first organic layer, wherein the first layer comprises a first material that is a transparent conductor, and wherein the first layer defines at least a portion of a first transparent conductive electrode.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first buffer layer is formed by operations including:

providing a first solution comprising a solvent and the first plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles of the first plurality thereof comprise a wide bandgap oxide;

distributing the first solution to form a nascent first buffer layer; and

enabling the removal of the solvent from the first solution, wherein the solvent is removed while the temperature of the optoelectronic device remains less than or equal to 200°

C.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first material includes indium tin oxide (ITO).

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

forming the first organic layer on a first layer stack comprising a first absorption layer having a first energy bandgap (EG), wherein the first layer stack includes a second transparent conductive electrode that is between the first organic layer and the first absorption layer;

wherein the first perovskite has a second EG that is higher than the first EG; and

wherein the first absorption layer includes a second material that is selected from the group consisting of silicon, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and a perovskite.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

forming a second organic layer such that it is disposed on a second layer stack comprising the first organic layer and the first layer stack, wherein the second organic layer comprises a second perovskite having a third EG that is higher than the second EG;

forming a second buffer layer such that it is disposed on the second organic layer, the second buffer layer comprising a second plurality of nanoparticles that includes at least one nanoparticle comprising a wide-bandgap oxide; and

sputter depositing a third layer such that the third layer is disposed on the second organic layer, wherein the third layer comprises a third material that is a transparent conductor, and wherein the third layer defines at least a portion of a third transparent conductive electrode.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the second material comprises a third perovskite.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one nanoparticle includes a material selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide (ZnO), tin oxide (SnO₂), titanium oxide (TiO₂), tungsten oxide (W₂O₃), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), nickel oxide (NiO), and molybdenum oxide (MoO_x).

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one nanoparticle is doped with a first dopant that is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, hydrogen, indium, and gallium.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the optoelectronic device is formed such that it is a device selected from the group consisting of a solar cell, a light emitting diode, and an electrochromic.