Presentation Details
| Using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry to Probe for Proton Induced Radiation Damage in Perovskite Solar Cells Julia Spaziani1, Buh Kum Tatchen1, Bekele Teklemariam1, Bibhudutta Rout2, Stephen Polly1, Ahmad Kirmani1, Seth Hubbard1. 1Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA.2University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA |
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a promising low-cost alternative to traditional III–V photovoltaic technologies for space applications due to their high power conversion efficiencies and demonstrated radiation tolerance. However, understanding radiation-induced material degradation mechanisms remains critical for their deployment in harsh space environments. In this work, variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) is used as a non-destructive tool to probe for proton induced radiation damage in multilayer p–i–n perovskite solar cell. Individual device layers, PTAA, a triple cation perovskite, and Cāā were deposited separately, and characterized pre and post irradiation. Samples were exposed to 75 keV protons at a fluence of 1 × 10¹³ protons/cm². Changes in optical constants (n and k), and band gap energy were extracted using Cauchy and B-spline models over the 300–1000 nm spectral range. The charge transport layers exhibited minimal changes in optical properties after irradiation, indicating they were not impacted by radiation due to their thickness. In contrast, the perovskite layer showed a significant increase in extinction coefficient from 0.0277 to 0.621 at 800nm and a measurable reduction in band gap energy of 1.56 to 1.4 eV, consistent with radiation-induced structural degradation and defect formation. These results demonstrate that VASE is a sensitive and effective technique for identifying radiation damage in PSCs and isolating the absorber layer as the primary contributor to performance degradation under proton irradiation. This work supports the use of ellipsometry as a valuable pre and post irradiation characterization method for advancing radiation tolerant perovskite photovoltaics for space applications.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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