Elimination of buried interfacial voids for efficient perovskite solar cells

Establishing optimal interfacial contact is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, formation of voids at buried interface of perovskite films often hinders this critical objective. Our investigation reveals that these buried interfacial voids predominantly manifest at sites characterized by large-angle pits on rough substrate, due to their elevated nucleation barriers compared to their small-angle counterparts. To address this challenge and promote uniform nucleation and growth across all sites, regardless of their angles, we develop an innovative precursor regulation strategy to reduce the nucleation barrier discrepancy between different sites by introducing nonstoichiometric homologous ions or by facilitating the formation of intermediate phases. Notably, the incorporation of FACl additive into the FAPbI₃ precursor combines the dual benefits of this approach, yielding high-quality perovskite film with intimate contact and reduced defect density. Consequently, this leads to a significant enhancement in the photovoltaic performance of PSCs.