Do stability improvements translate to space environments for perovskite solar cells?

The design of the device stack is of utmost importance when it comes to perovskite solar cells (PSCs) deployed in space. In this work, we show that including an ozone-nucleated tin oxide (O3-SnO2) based barrier layer between the device layers and the top contact increases the stability of p-i-n PSCs. This is showcased by improved bulk stability when grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray spectroscopy (GIWAXS) measurements were performed on PSCs with an O3-SnO2 barrier layer. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) showed that this improvement in stability is due to the ability of the barrier layer to stop metal diffusion to the perovskite layer and hence reduce deteriorating electrochemical reactions. We demonstrate that PSCs with an O3-SnO2 barrier layer are more resilient to thermal stress and retain their performance in terrestrial conditions when exposed to temperatures from 300K - 450K. We plan to explore how this terrestrial improvement in stability translates to a space environment by comparing stability after irradiation conditions and quantifying ion migration. We believe this relation plays a crucial role in the design choices of space-based PSCs with better stability and operational lifetimes.