The metal halide perovskite absorbers are prone to surface defects, which severely limit the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) and the operational stability of the perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, trace amounts of bithiophene propylammonium iodide (bi-TPAI) are applied to modulate the surface properties of the gas-quenched perovskite. It is found that the bi-TPAI surface treatment has negligible impact on the perovskite morphology, but it can induce a defect passivation effect and facilitate the charge carrier extraction, contributing to the gain in the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor. As a result, the PCE of the gas-quenched sputtered NiOx-based inverted PSCs is enhanced from the initial 20.0% to 22.0%. Most importantly, the bi-TPAI treatment can largely alleviate or even eliminate the burn-in process during the maximum power point tracking measurement, improving the operational stability of the devices.
Keywords: burn-in effect; operational stability; perovskite solar cells; sputtered nickel oxide; surface modulation.