Compound and Method for Formation of Self-Organized Monolayers on TCO Substrates for Use in Perovskite Solar Cells in Inverted Architecture

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This invention relates to specialized molecular compounds and a process for forming self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on transparent conductive oxide (TCO) substrates, intended for use as hole-transport layers in inverted perovskite solar cells. The core idea is to create extremely thin, uniform, self-organizing organic layers that efficiently transport positive charge carriers (holes), thereby improving solar cell efficiency, stability, and potentially reducing costs. The materials can conformally coat different surface structures and avoid the need for expensive or stability-limiting dopants.

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• Inverted perovskite solar cells as the primary hole transport layer (HTL) on TCO substrates.
• Monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, where conformal HTLs are needed on structured silicon surfaces.
• Other optoelectronic and photoelectric devices requiring ultra-thin, efficient organic hole transport layers, such as photodetectors or LEDs.
• Research platforms for the study and control of perovskite nucleation and surface passivation on various substrates.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Minimal parasitic light absorption due to ultra-thin, highly uniform monolayer structure, improving solar cell current and efficiency.
• Avoids high-temperature processing and the use of costly or unstable materials (e.g., gold or doped Spiro-OMeTAD), reducing manufacturing cost and complexity.
• Conformal coating possible on textured or structured surfaces, enabling integration with textured silicon wafers typically used in high-efficiency solar cells.
• Improved long-term device stability by eliminating the need for dopants that reduce operational life.
• Scalable solution-based fabrication processes (simple dip-coating or spin-coating).
• Potential to fine-tune surface energy and interface properties for optimized perovskite film formation and device performance.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to uniformly formed layers on TCO with a minimised layer thickness, which are hole-transporting due to a hole-transporting material and wherein the material is designed for self-organisation on a surface. The formed layers consist at least of a type of molecules according to formula (I) mixed with a filler molecule FM represented by the following equation, in which L is a connecting fragment, A is an anchor group and HTF is a hole-transporting fragment. The FM (filler molecule) consists at least of a molecule with an anchor group, an alkyl chain with N carbon atoms, wherein N is in the range of 1 to 18, and a functional group from at least one of the groups formed by methyl, halogen, amino, bromide, ammonium and sulphuric functional groups, and wherein x is in the region of 0.02 to 1 and y is equal to (1-x).