Metal halide perovskites such as methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) are highly promising materials for photovoltaics. However, the relationship between the organic nature of the cation and the optoelectronic quality remains debated. In this work, we investigate the optoelectronic properties of fully inorganic vapour-deposited and spin-coated black-phase CsPbI3 thin films. Using the time-resolved microwave conductivity technique, we measure charge carrier mobilities up to 25 cm2/(V s) and impressively long charge carrier lifetimes exceeding 10 μs for vapour-deposited CsPbI3, while the carrier lifetime reaches less than 0.2 μs in the spin-coated samples. Finally, we show that these improved lifetimes result in enhanced device performance with power conversion efficiencies close to 9%. Altogether, these results suggest that the charge carrier mobility and recombination lifetime are mainly dictated by the inorganic framework rather than the organic nature of the cation@en

Metal halide perovskites are generating enormous excitement for use in solar cells and light-emission applications, but devices still show substantial non-radiative losses. Here, we show that by combining light and atmospheric treatments, we can increase the internal luminescence quantum efficiencies of polycrystalline perovskite films from 1% to 89%, with carrier lifetimes of 32 μs and diffusion lengths of 77 μm, comparable with perovskite single crystals. Remarkably, the surface recombination velocity of holes in the treated films is 0.4 cm/s, approaching the values for fully passivated crystalline silicon, which has the lowest values for any semiconductor to date. The enhancements translate to solar cell power-conversion efficiencies of 19.2%, with a near-instant rise to stabilized power output, consistent with suppression of ion migration. We propose a mechanism in which light creates superoxide species from oxygen that remove shallow surface states. The work reveals an industrially scalable post-treatment capable of producing state-of-the-art semiconducting films. Metal halide perovskites are exciting materials for low-cost optoelectronic devices such as solar cells and LEDs. In order to reach the theoretical efficiency limits for both applications, any parasitic non-radiative charge-carrier recombination losses, such as those mediated by carrier trapping, must be eliminated. At present, perovskite materials still suffer from substantial non-radiative decay, particularly under solar illumination conditions, and are therefore yet to reach their full potential. Perovskite single crystals have very low trap concentrations but their controlled growth into devices does not lend themselves to the advantages offered by solution-processing thin films such as roll-to-roll depositions. Here, we demonstrate the use of light and atmospheric treatments on polycrystalline perovskite films, resulting in minimal non-radiative losses and properties approaching those of perovskite single crystals and even the best crystalline semiconductors reported to date. The authors demonstrate the use of light and atmospheric treatments on polycrystalline perovskite thin films, resulting in properties approaching those of the best crystalline semiconductors reported to date. The results translate to exceptional photovoltaic device performances with rapid rises to stabilized power output consistent with an inhibition of ionic migration.@en

The extent to which the soft structural properties of metal halide perovskites affect their optoelectronic properties is unclear. X-ray diffraction and micro-photoluminescence measurements are used to show that there is a coexistence of both tetragonal and orthorhombic phases through the low-temperature phase transition, and that cycling through this transition can lead to structural changes and enhanced optoelectronic properties. @en

Metal halide perovskites such as methylammonium lead iodide (CH3 NH3 PbI3) are generating great excitement due to their outstanding optoelectronic properties, which lend them to application in high-efficiency solar cells and light-emission devices. However, there is currently debate over what drives the second-order electron-hole recombination in these materials. Here, we propose that the bandgap in CH3 NH3 PbI3 has a direct-indirect character. Time-resolved photo-conductance measurements show that generation of free mobile charges is maximized for excitation energies just above the indirect bandgap. Furthermore, we find that second-order electron-hole recombination of photo-excited charges is retarded at lower temperature. These observations are consistent with a slow phonon-assisted recombination pathway via the indirect bandgap. Interestingly, in the low-temperature orthorhombic phase, fast quenching of mobile charges occurs independent of the temperature and photon excitation energy. Our work provides a new framework to understand the optoelectronic properties of metal halide perovskites and analyse spectroscopic data.@en

Recently, several studies have investigated dielectric properties as a possible origin of the exceptional optoelectronic properties of metal halide perovskites (MHPs). In this study we investigated the temperature-dependent dielectric behavior of different MHP films at different frequencies. In the gigahertz regime, dielectric losses in methylammonium-based samples are dominated by the rotational dynamics of the organic cation. Upon increasing the temperature from 160 to 300 K, the rotational relaxation time, τ, decreases from 400 (200) to 6 (1) ps for MAPb-I3 (-Br3). By contrast, we found negligible temperature-dependent variations in τ for a mixed cation/mixed halide FA0.85MA0.15Pb(I0.85Br0.15)3. From temperature-dependent time-resolved microwave conductance measurements we conclude that the dipolar reorientation of the MA cation does not affect charge carrier mobility and lifetime in MHPs. Therefore, charge carriers do not feel the relatively slow-moving MA cations, despite their great impact on the dielectric constants.@en

The highest reported efficiencies of metal halide perovskite (MHP) solar cells are all based on mixed perovskites, such as (FA,MA,Cs)Pb(I1-xBrx)3. Despite demonstrated structural changes induced by light soaking, it is unclear how the charge carrier dynamics are affected across this entire material family. Here, various (FA,MA,Cs)Pb(I1-xBrx)3 perovskite films are light-soaked in nitrogen, and changes in optoelectronic properties are investigated through time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) and optical and structural techniques. To fit the TRMC decay kinetics obtained for pristine (FA,MA,Cs)Pb(I1-xBrx)3 for various excitation densities, additional shallow states have to be included, which are not required for describing TRMC traces of single-cation MHPs. These shallow states can, independently of x, be removed by light soaking, which leads to a reduction in the imbalance between the diffusional motion of electrons and holes. We interpret the shallow states as a result of initially well-intermixed halide distributions, which upon light soaking segregate into domains with distinct band gaps.@en