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Nathan Hill

Ions and the interface between perovskite and other materials.

Supervisor

Project description

We are investigating how ions affect the interface between perovskites and other materials. This includes the effects of band bending, energy barriers, and recombination of charge carriers.

The standard perovskite structure is MAPbI3. In this structure, ions can influence the photo current. There are positive Methylammonium ion and negative Iodine vacancies. Ions are randomly distributed throughout a newly formed perovskite structure. The position of the ions can then be moved by applying a voltage bias on the system.

Ion migration in perovskite solar cells has been linked to the large hysteresis. This is a negative effect on solar cells. It reduces efficiency and creates a dependency on the biasing history. This makes the solar cells less effective as standard solar panels for energy harvesting.

We are fabricating and measuring devices. We will investigate how changing the Electron Transport Layer (ETL) affects device performance. We will also investigate the perovskite itself. We will measure both MAPbI3 and mixed cation perovskites.

We will also fabricate ifferent devices architectures, such as:

  • solar cells
  • Schottky diodes
  • lateral contact devices
  • Field-Effect Transistors
  • memristors

Our investigations of lots of different materials and devices will build a picture of the role of ions within the system. We will then be able to extract some fundamental properties of the material such as ionic conductivity and activation energy.

Interests

  • perovskite solar cells
  • photovoltaics
  • perovskite ion migration
  • material science
  • LabVIEW
  • CAD and PCB design

Qualifications

  • 1st Class MPhys, Physics with Nanotechnology form Hull University

 

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