Influence of the synthesis method on structural, morphological and electronic properties of MAPbI3 thin films prepared by three different routes

Abstract

The influence of the synthesis method on both microstructure and morphological and electronic properties of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ (MAPbI₃) films prepared by different methods were investigated experimentally by Urbach energy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements, as well as computationally by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.

This study was performed with samples prepared by three different methods including one step anti-solvent assisted spin coating and two-steps new approach that use a route in which in a first step a layer of the inorganic precursor (PbI₂) is deposited by conventional thermal evaporation and then in a second step the MAPbI₃ compound is formed through a reaction of the PbI₂ layer deposited in the first stage and a layer of the organic precursor methylammonium iodide (MAI) deposited by close spaced sublimation (CSS) and also by dipping in a MAI solution.