Light-Induced Increase of Electron Diffusion Length in a p–n Junction Type CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ Perovskite Solar Cell

Abstract

High band gap, high open-circuit voltage solar cells with methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr₃) perovskite absorbers are of interest for spectral splitting and photoelectrochemical applications, because of their good performance and ease of processing. The physical origin of high performance in these and similar perovskite-based devices remains only partially understood. Using cross-sectional electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) measurements, we find an increase in carrier diffusion length in MAPbBr₃(Cl)-based solar cells upon low intensity (a few percent of 1 sun intensity) blue laser illumination. Comparing dark and illuminated conditions, the minority carrier (electron) diffusion length increases about 3.5 times from <i>L</i>_n = 100 ± 50 nm to 360 ± 22 nm. The EBIC cross section profile indicates a p–n structure between the n-FTO/TiO₂ and p-perovskite, rather than the p–i–n structure, reported for the iodide derivative. On the basis of the variation in space-charge region width with varying bias, measured by EBIC and capacitance–voltage measurements, we estimate the net-doping concentration in MAPbBr₃(Cl) to be 3–6 × 10¹⁷ cm^–3