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Strongly Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance and Defect Physics of Air‐Stable Bismuth Oxyiodide (BiOI)
Author(s) -
Hoye Robert L. Z.,
Lee Lana C.,
Kurchin Rachel C.,
Huq Tahmida N.,
Zhang Kelvin H. L.,
Sponseller Melany,
Nienhaus Lea,
Brandt Riley E.,
Jean Joel,
Polizzotti James Alexander,
Kursumović Ahmed,
Bawendi Moungi G.,
Bulović Vladimir,
Stevanović Vladan,
Buonassisi Tonio,
MacManusDriscoll Judith L.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201702176
Subject(s) - materials science , bismuth , photovoltaics , photovoltaic system , optoelectronics , tetragonal crystal system , non blocking i/o , energy conversion efficiency , nanotechnology , phase (matter) , chemistry , organic chemistry , ecology , metallurgy , biology , catalysis
Bismuth‐based compounds have recently gained increasing attention as potentially nontoxic and defect‐tolerant solar absorbers. However, many of the new materials recently investigated show limited photovoltaic performance. Herein, one such compound is explored in detail through theory and experiment: bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI). BiOI thin films are grown by chemical vapor transport and found to maintain the same tetragonal phase in ambient air for at least 197 d. The computations suggest BiOI to be tolerant to antisite and vacancy defects. All‐inorganic solar cells (ITO|NiO x |BiOI|ZnO|Al) with negligible hysteresis and up to 80% external quantum efficiency under select monochromatic excitation are demonstrated. The short‐circuit current densities and power conversion efficiencies under AM 1.5G illumination are nearly double those of previously reported BiOI solar cells, as well as other bismuth halide and chalcohalide photovoltaics recently explored by many groups. Through a detailed loss analysis using optical characterization, photoemission spectroscopy, and device modeling, direction for future improvements in efficiency is provided. This work demonstrates that BiOI, previously considered to be a poor photocatalyst, is promising for photovoltaics.