Improved Performance and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells by Incorporating Silicon Quantum Dots within the FAPbI3 Active Layer

Calum McDonald; Dilli babu Padmanaban; Ruairi McGlynn; Ankur Uttam Kambley; Bruno Alessi; Davide Mariotti; Takuya Matsui; Vladimir Svrcek

doi:10.1002/aenm.202502864

Improved Performance and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells by Incorporating Silicon Quantum Dots within the FAPbI3 Active Layer

Calum McDonald
, Dilli babu Padmanaban
, Ruairi McGlynn
, Ankur Uttam Kambley
, Bruno Alessi
, Davide Mariotti
, Takuya Matsui
, Vladimir Svrcek

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

20 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Embedding inorganic quantum dots (iQDs) within the perovskite absorber offers a promising route to improve both efficiency and stability in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Due to the defect-tolerant nature of lead halide perovskites, iQDs can be incorporated within crystal grains without degrading performance, while contributing their unique optoelectronic properties. In this study, silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) are embedded into perovskite films to form high-quality hybrid thin films. Prior to forming the hybrid film, a femtosecond laser-based surface engineering (SE) technique is used to fragment SiQDs into highly dispersed, stable, ultrasmall particles (≈2 nm). Incorporation of SE-treated SiQDs (SE-SiQDs) into the perovskite layer reduces the density of shallow traps and improves carrier transport. A substantial decrease in residual lead iodide (PbI2) is observed at the film surface, and modulation of the Fermi level is achieved through SiQD incorporation. PSCs incorporating SE-SiQDs exhibit a fill factor exceeding 80% and a power conversion efficiency above 20% (active area: 0.23 cm2), along with enhanced long-term operational stability.

Original language	English
Article number	e02864
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Advanced Energy Materials
Volume	15
Issue number	36
Early online date	22 Jul 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202502864
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 23 Jul 2025

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the ﬁndings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Funding

This work was partly supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan, project code JPJN20005, by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK (EP/R008841/1, EP/M024938/1, EP/K022237/1) and by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science through the Invitational Fellowships for Research in Japan (BR230303, 22KF0413). A part of this work was supported by \u201CAdvanced Research Infrastructure for Materials and Nanotechnology in Japan (ARIM)\u201D of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Grant Number JPMXP1223AT5030. The authors were grateful to Hiroyuki Matsuzaki in AIST Nanocharacterization Facility (ANCF) for providing access to the femtosecond laser facilities. The authors thank Hitoshi Sai and Toshiki Oku for assistance with HF processing.

Funders	Funder number
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization	JPJN20005
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science	BR230303, 22KF0413
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council	EP/K022237/1, EP/M024938/1, EP/R008841/1
JPMXP1223AT5030

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

FAPbI 3
hybrid solar cells
perovskite solar cells
Perovskites
siliconquantum dots
perovskites
FAPbI
silicon quantum dots

Access to Document

10.1002/aenm.202502864

Advanced Energy Materials - 2025 - McDonald - Improved Performance and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells by Incorporating.cleaned (1)Final published version, 1.72 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "Embedding inorganic quantum dots (iQDs) within the perovskite absorber offers a promising route to improve both efficiency and stability in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Due to the defect-tolerant nature of lead halide perovskites, iQDs can be incorporated within crystal grains without degrading performance, while contributing their unique optoelectronic properties. In this study, silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) are embedded into perovskite films to form high-quality hybrid thin films. Prior to forming the hybrid film, a femtosecond laser-based surface engineering (SE) technique is used to fragment SiQDs into highly dispersed, stable, ultrasmall particles (≈2 nm). Incorporation of SE-treated SiQDs (SE-SiQDs) into the perovskite layer reduces the density of shallow traps and improves carrier transport. A substantial decrease in residual lead iodide (PbI2) is observed at the film surface, and modulation of the Fermi level is achieved through SiQD incorporation. PSCs incorporating SE-SiQDs exhibit a fill factor exceeding 80\% and a power conversion efficiency above 20\% (active area: 0.23 cm2), along with enhanced long-term operational stability.",

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AU - Mariotti, Davide

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AU - Svrcek, Vladimir

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Improved Performance and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells by Incorporating Silicon Quantum Dots within the FAPbI3 Active Layer

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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