Low-Temperature Crystallization Enables 21.9% Efficient Single-Crystal MAPbI₃ Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

Lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have advanced rapidly in performance over the past decade. Single-crystal PSCs based on micrometers-thick grain-boundary-free films with long charge carrier diffusion lengths and enhanced light absorption (relative to polycrystalline films) have recently emerged as candidates for advancing PSCs further toward their theoretical limit. To date, the preferred method to grow MAPbI₃ single-crystal films for PSCs involves solution processing at temperatures ≥120 °C, which adversely affects the films' crystalline quality, especially at the surface, primarily because of methylammonium iodide loss at such high temperatures. Here we devise a solvent-engineering approach to reduce the crystallization temperature of MAPbI₃ single-crystal films (<90 °C), yielding better quality films with longer carrier lifetimes. Single-crystal MAPbI₃ inverted PSCs fabricated with this strategy show markedly enhanced open-circuit voltages (1.15 V vs 1.08 V for controls), leading to power conversion efficiencies of up to 21.9%, which are among the highest reported for MAPbI₃-based devices.