High-Quality Perovskite Films for Efficient and Stable Light-Emitting Diodes

Abstract: Metal halide perovskites have attracted significant attention for light-emitting applications, because of their excellent properties, such as high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs), good charge mobility, narrow emission bandwidth, readily tunable emission spectra ranging from ultraviolet to near-infrared, and solution processability. Since the first room-temperature perovskite-based light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) reported in 2014, tremendous efforts have been made to promote the efficiencies of PeLEDs, including theoretical simulation, materials design, and device engineering. To reach the ultimate goal of commercialization, PeLEDs with both high-efficiency and long-term operational stability are desired. Achieving high-quality perovskite emissive films is key towards this goal. Centering around the high-quality perovskite films, in this thesis, we demonstrate effective synthesis strategies for the deposition of high-quality perovskite films (including both three-dimensional and mixed-dimensional perovskites) and investigate the effects of ion migration in the perovskite films on the performance of PeLEDs.Due to the fast crystallization nature of perovskites and the low formation energy of defects, controlling the crystallization processes of these films has proved to be an effective approach for achieving high-quality perovskite films. For three-dimensional (3D) perovskite films, we have controlled the formation of these films through the assistance of molecules with the amino group. Herein, we have chosen an electron-transport molecule with two amino groups, 4,4’-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS), to control the crystallization process of perovskite films (Paper 1). The resulting perovskite films consists of in-situ formed high quality perovskite nanocrystals embedded in the electron-transport molecular matrix, resulting in improved PLQYs and structural stability. PeLEDs based on these perovskite films have exhibited both high efficiency and long operational stability.In addition, we have investigated the formation of mixed-dimensional perovskite films. Efficient PeLEDs based on mixed-dimensional perovskite films were fabricated with tin dioxide (SnO2) as an electron transport layer (Paper 3). We also note that the deposition methods have a significant impact on the morphology and optical properties of prepared mixed-dimensional perovskite films (Paper 4). In addition, we provide an effective method to extend the deposition of mixed-dimensional perovskite films, replacing organic ammonium halides with amines in the perovskite precursor solutions to form organic spacer cations through the in-situ protonation process of amines (Paper 2).In spite of these efforts, the performance of PeLEDs is still far from the commercialization standard, partially limited by ion migration. In Paper 5, we discuss impacts of mobile ions in the perovskite films on the performance of PeLEDs. We find that a dynamic redistribution of mobile ions can change current density of a device, leading to EQE/hysteresis during forward and reverse voltage scan and enhanced EQE under constant driving voltages. In addition, we have found that excess mobile ions in the perovskite layer can aggravate the hysteresis and shorten the operational stability of PeLEDs.In this thesis, we also discuss the remaining key challenges in the PeLED field, including the achievement of high-performance blue, white, and lead-free PeLEDs, as well as possible strategies to address these challenges. We hope that our research findings provide insights into the basic science behind the perovskite materials, and broadly benefit other optoelectronic communities, such as perovskite solar cells, flexible electronics, and so on.