Method for single crystal growth of photovoltaic perovskite material and devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016248028-A1
Application number	US-201615009701-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for perovskite single crystal growth include using a low temperature solution process that employs a temperature gradient in a perovskite solution in a container, also including at least one small perovskite single crystal, and a substrate in the solution upon which substrate a perovskite crystal nucleates and grows, in part due to the temperature gradient in the solution and in part due to a temperature gradient in the substrate. For example, a top portion of the substrate external to the solution may be cooled.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A process for growing a single perovskite crystal, comprising:
generating a temperature gradient in a perovskite precursor solution; and positioning a substrate in the precursor solution at a cooler portion of the solution where the temperature is cooler than at a warmer portion of the solution due to the temperature gradient, the substrate having a first end extending within the precursor solution toward the warmer portion of the solution, wherein a perovskite crystal nucleates and grows on the substrate proximal to the first end of the substrate to form a large-size perovskite single crystal.

2 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising cooling a distal end of the substrate external to the solution.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the solution in the cooler portion is supersaturated.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor solution is contained within a container, wherein at least a bottom portion of the container is within a hot fluid bath, and wherein the at least one small perovskite crystal is placed proximal to the bottom portion of the container which corresponds to the warmer portion of the solution.

5 . The process of claim 4 , further including placing at least one perovskite single crystal, or perovskite powders in the precursor solution at the warmer portion of the solution where the temperature is higher than at the cooler portion of the solution due to the temperature gradient.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the warmer portion of the solution is at a temperature of about 40° C. to about 200° C., and wherein the cooler portion of the solution is at a temperature of about 20° C. to about 130° C.

7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the perovskite single crystal is a perovskite having a structure of AMX 3 , wherein A is methylammonium (CH 3 NH 3 +), Cs+ or formamidinum (H 2 NCHNH 2 +), M is a metal cation, and X is a halide anion thiocyanate (SCN−) or mixture of them.

8 . The process of claim 7 , wherein the metal cation is Pb 2 +, and wherein the halide ion is one of I−, Cl−, Br− or a mixture thereof.

9 . A perovskite crystal photovoltaic device having a lateral electrode structure, comprising:
a perovskite single crystal defining a planar perovskite layer; a first electrode disposed on a first side of the planar perovskite layer; and a second electrode disposed on the first side of the planar perovskite layer or on a second side of the planar perovskite layer opposite the first side, wherein the second electrode is displaced from the first electrode along a planar direction defined by the planar perovskite layer, such that when activated by illumination impinging on the perovskite single crystal, a charge flows in the perovskite single crystal along the planar direction between the first and second electrodes.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the perovskite single crystal has a structure of AMX 3 , wherein A is methylammonium (CH 3 NH 3 +), M is a metal cation, and X is a halide anion.

11 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are both non-transparent to the illumination impinging on the perovskite single crystal.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the second electrode in on the first side.

13 . The device of claim 9 , further comprising a substrate layer covering at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode.

14 . The device of claim 9 , further comprising a substrate layer covering both of the first electrode and the second electrode.

15 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the perovskite single crystal has a thickness between about 100 nm and about 1 cm.

16 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the first electrodes is parallel to the second electrode and wherein an electric field is applied to the perovskite crystal layer to produce a p-i-n structure.

17 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode comprise different materials

18 . A perovskite single crystal radiation detector device, comprising:
perovskite single crystal; a first electrode disposed on a first surface of the perovskite single crystal; and a second electrode disposed on one of the first side or a second side of the perovskite single crystal opposite the first side, wherein the perovskite single crystal has a thickness of less than about 3 cm between the first side and the second side, and wherein the perovskite single crystal has a diffusion length of about 3 mm or greater.

19 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the thickness of the perovskite single crystal is between about 1 μm and about 1 cm.

20 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the perovskite single crystal is a perovskite having a structure of AMX 3 , wherein A is methylammonium (CH 3 NH 3 +), Cs+ or formamidinum (H 2 NCHNH 2 +), M is a metal cation, and X is a halide anion, thiocyanate (SCN−) or mixture of them.

Assignees

• Nutech Ventures

Inventors

• Huang Jinsong
• Dong Qingfeng

Classifications

• H10K30/20

  comprising organic-organic junctions, e.g. donor-acceptor junctions · CPC title

• H10K30/10

  comprising heterojunctions between organic semiconductors and inorganic semiconductors · CPC title

• H10K30/40

  comprising a p-i-n structure, e.g. having a perovskite absorber between p-type and n-type charge transport layers · CPC title

• H10K85/50 Primary

  Organic perovskites; Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites [HOIP], e.g. CH3NH3PbI3 · CPC title

• H10F10/172

  comprising multiple PIN junctions, e.g. tandem cells · CPC title