Lead-Free Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells with Interfacial Native Oxide Have >10% Efficiency and Simultaneously Enhanced Stability and Reliability

Here we demonstrate an innovative compositional and interfacial engineering approach to achieve Pb-free flexible perovskite solar cells (f-PSCs) with an unprecedented combination of the highest efficiency reported to date (10.43%), together with enhanced operational stability and mechanical reliability. The key to this approach is alloying of an FASnI3 metal halide perovskite (MHP) thin film with Ge2+ to stabilize the Sn2+ oxidation state in the MHP, together with the use of a NiOx hole-transport layer. We show that this results in the in situ formation of a thin amorphous GeO2 native oxide layer at the NiOx/FASn0.9Ge0.1I3 interface. This layer not only passivates that critical interface but also enhances the interfacial mechanical bonding.