IP Library Patent Application 18277153
Patent Application
App. No. 18/277,153

Materials and Methods for Hole Transport Layers in Perovskite Photovoltaic Devices

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Patent No.
US None
App. No.
18/277,153
Abstract

Methods and compositions for forming perovskite hole transport layers for use in manufacturing photovoltaic devices are described. Embodiments include using a plurality of hole transport materials to produce high-performance HTL contacts to improve performance and stability.

Claims (52)

1 . A photovoltaic device comprising:

a transparent conductive oxide;

a multilayer hole transport stack over the transparent conductive oxide, the multilayer hole transport stack comprises a thin hole transport layer over a thick hole transport layer, wherein:

the thin hole transport layer comprises an organic hole transport material,

the thick hole transport layer comprises an inorganic hole transport material or an organometallic hole transport material, and

the thick hole transport layer is at least two times the thickness of the thin hole transport layer; and

a perovskite absorber layer over the multilayer hole transport stack, wherein:

the thin hole transport layer of the multilayer hole transport stack directly contacts the perovskite absorber layer.

2 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the thick hole transport layer has a thickness in a range of 4.0 nm to 100 nm; and

the thin hole transport layer has a thickness in a range of 0.3 nm to 4.0 nm.

3 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the thickness of the thick hole transport layer to the thickness of the thin hole transport layer is in a range from 4:1 to 100:1.

4 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the organic hole transport material includes at least one of PTAA, P3HT, P3HT-COOH, poly-TPD, PEDOT:PSS, Spiro-OMeTAD, SAF-OMe, OMeTPA-FA, SGT-407, Fused-F, TTF-1, alpha-NPD, TIPS-pentacene, PCPDTBT, PCDTBT, polyelectrolyte (P3CT-N, P3CT-Rb), spiro[fluorene-9,9′-xanthene](SFX)-based 3D oligomers (X55), carbazole based self-assembled monolayer (2PACz, MeO-2PACz, Me-4PACz), or quinolizino acridine.

5 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the organic material includes at least one of PTAA, P3HT, P3HT-COOH, poly-TPD, or undoped Spiro-OMeTAD.

6 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the thick hole transport layer includes at least one of a metal oxide, a metal nitride, or a metal oxynitride.

7 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the thick hole transport layer includes at least one of: nickel oxide (NiOx), copper thiocyanate (CuSCN), copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), tungsten oxide (WO 3 ), copper iodide (CuI), copper oxide (CuO x ), copper sulfide (CuS), copper indium disulfide (CuInS 2 ), chromium oxide (CrOx), copper chromium iodide (CuCrI X ), molybdenum oxide (MoOx), vanadium oxide (V 2 O 5 ), cobalt oxide (CoOx), nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc), aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), or zinc telluride (ZnTe).

8 . A hole transport stack for a perovskite photovoltaic device comprising:

a first sublayer, comprising a first hole transport material; and

a second sublayer, comprising a second hole transport material;

wherein:

the first hole transport material comprises an inorganic hole transport material or an organometallic hole transport material;

the second hole transport material comprises an organic hole transport material;

the first sublayer is configured to be adjacent to a p-type contact layer of the photovoltaic device;

the second sublayer is adjacent to the first sublayer;

the second sublayer is configured to be adjacent to a perovskite absorber layer in the photovoltaic device; and

the first sublayer is at least two times the thickness of the second sublayer.

9 . The hole transport stack of claim 8 , wherein:

the first sublayer has a thickness in a range of 4.0 nm to 100 nm; and

the second sublayer has a thickness in a range of 0.3 nm to 4.0 nm.

10 . The hole transport stack of claim 8 , wherein a ratio of the thickness of the first sublayer to the thickness of the second sublayer is in a range from 4:1 to 100:1.

11 . The hole transport stack of claim 8 , wherein the second hole transport material includes at least one of PTAA, P3HT, P3HT-COOH, poly-TPD, PEDOT:PSS, Spiro-OMeTAD, SAF-OMe, OMeTPA-FA, SGT-407, Fused-F, TTF-1, alpha-NPD, TIPS-pentacene, PCPDTBT, PCDTBT, polyelectrolyte (P3CT-N, P3CT-Rb), spiro[fluorene-9,9′-xanthene](SFX)-based 3D oligomers (X55), carbazole based self-assembled monolayer (2PACz, MeO-2PACz, Me-4PACz), or quinolizino acridine.

12 . The hole transport stack of claim 8 , wherein the organic hole transport material includes at least one of PTAA, P3HT, P3HT-COOH, poly-TPD, or undoped Spiro-OMeTAD.

13 . The hole transport stack of claim 8 , wherein:

the first hole transport material includes at least one of: nickel oxide (NiOx), copper thiocyanate (CuSCN), copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), tungsten oxide (WO 3 ), copper iodide (CuI), copper oxide (CuO x ), copper sulfide (CuS), copper indium disulfide (CuInS 2 ), chromium oxide (CrO x ), copper chromium iodide (CuCrI x ), molybdenum oxide (MoO x ), vanadium oxide (V 2 O 5 ), cobalt oxide (CoO x ), nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc), aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), or zinc telluride (ZnTe).

14 . The hole transport stack of claim 8 , wherein a partly-formed photovoltaic device comprises:

the p-type contact layer over a substrate;

the first sublayer over the p-type contact layer; and

the second sublayer over the first sublayer;

wherein the second sublayer has an exposed surface that is hydrophobic or semihydrophobic, whereby a contact angle for water on the exposed surface is between 450 to 120°.

15 . The hole transport stack of claim 8 , wherein a band gap of the first hole transport material is greater than a band gap of the second hole transport material.

16 . A method of forming a perovskite photovoltaic device comprising:

providing a substrate stack, the substrate stack having a transparent p-type contact layer;

forming a first sublayer comprising a first hole transport material over the p-type contact layer;

forming a second sublayer comprising a second hole transport material over the first sublayer;

wherein a ratio of the thickness of the first sublayer to the thickness of the second sublayer is in a range from 2:1 to 100:1; and

forming a perovskite absorber layer adjacent to the second sublayer.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of forming the second hole transport sublayer comprises at least one of: spin coating, slot coating, spray coating, blade coating, or dip coating.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:

the first hole transport material comprises nickel oxide (NiOx);

the second hole transport material includes at least one of PTAA, P3HT, or P3HT-COOH; and

a ratio of the thickness of the first sublayer to the thickness of the second sublayer is in a range from 3:1 to 10:1.

19 - 48 . (canceled)

Assignments (7)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 16, 2025
From: ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC
To: ALLIANCE FOR ENERGY INNOVATION, LLC
Reel/Frame 073993/0276 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 11, 2025
From: FIRST SOLAR INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 072887/0601 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2024
From: CHEN, LE; SONG, TZE-BIN; STEINMANN, VERA; TERAN, NATASHA; VARADARAJAN, ARAVAMUTHAN; YI, XUEPING; ZHAO, ZHIBO
To: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
Reel/Frame 068165/0834 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 27, 2024
From: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067920/0659 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2024
From: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067670/0858 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Jan 23, 2024
From: NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 066211/0023 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 22, 2023
From: BERRY, JOSEPH JONATHAN; PALMSTROM, AXEL FINN; ZHU, KAI; YANG, MENGJIN
To: ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC
Reel/Frame 064660/0037 →