Combined Stress Testing of Perovskite Solar Cells for Stable Operation in Space
Kaitlyn T. VanSant, Ahmad R. Kirmani, Jay B. Patel, Laura E. Crowe, David P. Ostrowski, Brian M. Wieliczka, Michael D. McGehee, Laura T. Schelhas, Joseph M. Luther, Timothy J. Peshek, Lyndsey McMillon‐Brown
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) could provide new low-cost opportunities for powering spacecraft. We are designing a PSC resilient to lunar surface conditions, focusing on contact/barrier layers combinations that maximize stability. Thermal vacuum stress shows cells with gold back-contacts and SiO x protection retain >90% of initial efficiency and indium tin oxide (ITO)-contacted cells retain ∼100% of initial efficiency after five months of stress. SiO x mitigates mechanical aspects of contact stress, retaining 99% of initial efficiency, whereas cells with silicone/cover glass decreased 27%. We further exposed cells to combined illumination, 75 °C heat, and 10 –6 Torr vacuum for 24 h and found that ITO-contacted cells outperformed Au-contacted cells.