TY - GEN A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Łobaza, Justyna A1 - Naumann, Franziska A1 - Gargouri, Hassan A1 - Henkel, Karsten A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter T1 - Long-term ambient surface oxidation of titanium oxynitride films prepared by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition: An XPS study T2 - Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A N2 - The surface oxidation of a titanium oxynitride (TiOxNy) film after long-time storage of 25 month in ambient conditions is investigated. The TiOxNy film is prepared by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition using etrakis(dimethylamino)titanium and nitrogen plasma, and the film is characterized by Ar+ ion sputtering of the film surface in combination with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as well as by angle-resolved XPS. The total thickness of an oxygen-enriched layer at the surface of the TiOxNy films is found to be about 0.7 nm and it consists of a sequence of a 0.4 nm thick TiON/TiO2 enriched layer followed by a 0.3 nm thick TiO2 enriched layer underneath compared to the bulk composition of the film which shows constant values of 29% TiN, 29% TiO2, and 42% TiON. The results suggest that the TiON enrichment takes place initially at the surface followed by a surface and subsurface oxidation. KW - atomic layer deposition (ALD) KW - surface oxidation KW - X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) KW - titanium oxynitride Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5003356 SN - 0734-2101 SN - 1520-8559 VL - 36 IS - 1 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Wojciechowski, Konrad A1 - Snaith, Henry J. A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter T1 - Evidence of Nitrogen Contribution to the Electronic Structure of the CH₃NH₃PbI₃ Perovskite T2 - Chemistry - A European Journal N2 - Despite fast development of hybrid perovskite solar cells, there are many fundamental questions related to the perovskite film which remain open. For example, there are contradicting theoretical reports on the role of the or-ganic methylammonium cation (CH₃NH₃+)in the methylam-monium lead triiodide (CH₃NH₃PbI₃)perovskite film. From one side it is reported that the organic cation does not contribute to electronic structure of the CH₃NH₃PbI₃ film. From the other side, valence band maximum fluctuations, dependent on the CH₃NH₃+ rotation, have been theoretically predicted. The resonant X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reported here show experimental evidence of nitrogen contribution to the CH₃NH₃PbI₃ electronic structure. Moreover,the observed strong resonances of nitrogen with the I 5s and the Pb 5d-6s levels indicate that the CH₃NH₃PbI₃ valence band is extended up to ~18 eV below the Fermi energy, and therefore one should also consider these shallow core levels while modeling its electronic structure. KW - methylammonium lead triiodide (CH₃NH₃PbI₃) KW - electronic structure KW - perovskite solar cells KW - resonant X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (resPES) Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201705144 SN - 0947-6539 SN - 1521-3765 VL - 24 IS - 14 SP - 3539 EP - 3544 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Naumann, Franziska A1 - Garain, Samiran A1 - Poźarowska, Emilia A1 - Gargouri, Hassan A1 - Henkel, Karsten A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter T1 - Aluminum nitride films prepared by plasma atomic layer deposition using different plasma sources T2 - Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft, Reihe 6, Band 53,3 N2 - Aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films are promising for versatile applications in optoelectronics, electronics, piezoelectrics, and acoustics due to their remarkable properties such as wide band gap, high dielectric constant, low electrical conductivity, good piezoelectric coefficient and high ultrasonic velocity. We present a comparative study of AlN films grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition at 350°C silicon wafers in the SENTECH SI ALD LL system using TMA and NH3 where either a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) or a direct PTSA (planar triple spiral antenna) source was applied. The films were characterized by ellipsometry, XPS and electrical measurements. The layer properties are discussed concerning the varied ALD process parameters. In general, the process using the direct PTSA source delivered films with higher refractive index and better homogeneity over the wafer achieving also higher growth rates per cycle (GPC) in reduced total cycle durations. Films with refractive index in the range of 2.05 and permittivity around 8 could be realized with a GPC of 1.54 Å/cycle. KW - Aluminium nitride KW - plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) KW - ellispsometry KW - field emission scanning electron microscopy KW - atomic force microscopy KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy KW - electrical characterization Y1 - 2018 SN - 0420-0195 SP - S. 170 PB - Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft CY - Bad Honnef ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Kegelmann, Lukas A1 - Kus, Peter A1 - Tsud, Nataliya A1 - Matolínová, Iva A1 - Albrecht, Steve A1 - Matolin, Vladimir A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter T1 - Room temperature atomic layer deposition for perovskite solar cells T2 - Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft, Reihe 6, Band 53,3 N2 - After few years of efficiency driven research on perovskite solar cells, the focus now is shifting to understand the underlying processes governing the high efficiency and also to obtain long-term stable devices. Among various deposition methods, atomic layer deposition (ALD) may represent one of the best options, being possible to coat substrates in a very efficient way and at very low temperatures. In our previous work [1] we reported that the efficiency of the solar cell containing aged perovskite film can be enhanced twice while covering the perovskite with a thin ALD alumina film at room temperature. In this work, the chemical, electronic and morphological properties of the fresh perovskite film treated by ALD pulses of the trimethylaluminium and water at room temperature investigated using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy will be discused and correlated with the solar cells performance and stability. [1] M. Kot et al., ChemSusChem 2016, 9, 3401. KW - Perovskite solar cells KW - atomic layer deposition KW - X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) KW - atomic force microscopy KW - field emission scanning electron microscopy KW - photo-conversion efficiency Y1 - 2018 SN - 0420-0195 SP - S. 174 PB - Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft CY - Bad Honnef ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Henkel, Karsten A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Tallarida, Massimo A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter ED - Wandelt, Klaus T1 - An (In Situ)² Approach: ALD and resPES Applied to Al₂O₃, HfO₂, and TiO₂ Ultrathin Films T2 - Encyclopedia of Interfacial Chemistry: Surface Science and Electrochemistry, Vol. 3.1 N2 - Oxide surface coatings are of importance in tailoring interface properties with respect to surface passivation, adjustment of surface potentials, or providing active centers for surface reactions. In this contribution, we report about surface coatings prepared by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. ALD is known for its conformal growth of ultrathin, dense films which exhibit a low concentration of pinholes. KW - Atomic layer deposition (ALD) KW - Resonant photoelectron spectroscopy (resPES) KW - Band scheme KW - Partial density of states (pDOS) KW - Intrinsic charges KW - Intrinsic defects KW - Aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) KW - Hafnium oxide (HfO₂) KW - Titanium oxide(TiO₂) Y1 - 2018 SN - 978-0-12-809739-7 SN - 978-0-12-809894-3 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409547-2.13852-1 SP - 18 EP - 26 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Corrêa, Silma Alberton A1 - Das, Chittaranjan A1 - Henkel, Karsten ED - Wandelt, Klaus T1 - Interface Potentials, Intrinsic Defects, and Passivation Mechanisms in Al₂O₃, HfO₂, and TiO₂ Ultrathin Films T2 - Encyclopedia of Interfacial Chemistry: Surface Science and Electrochemistry, vol. 3.1 N2 - We study the electronic structure of ultrathin Al₂O₃, HfO₂, and TiO₂ ALD films by resonant photoelectron spectroscopy. We identify intrinsic defects which are responsible for the active sites in interface reactions, for the incorporation of intrinsic charges, and for the formation of local dipole momenta. All of these features determine the surface potentials and the reactivity of the surface of the atomic layer deposition coated systems. We give examples of charges and dipoles in Al₂O₃, on a study of the surface potentials in HfO₂, and relate the intrinsic defects in TiO₂ to their electrochemical relevance. KW - Atomic layer deposition (ALD) KW - Resonant photoelectron spectroscopy (resPES) KW - Band scheme KW - Interface potential KW - Intrinsic charges KW - Intrinsic defects KW - Partial density of states (pDOS) KW - Exciton KW - Polaron KW - Ligand-to-metal charge transfer KW - Aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) KW - Hafnium oxide (HfO₂) KW - Titanium Oxide (TiO₂) Y1 - 2018 SN - 978-0-12-809739-7 SN - 978-0-12-814984-3 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409547-2.14119-8 SP - 162 EP - 171 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Kegelmann, Lukas A1 - Das, Chittaranjan A1 - Kus, Peter A1 - Tsud, Nataliya A1 - Matolínová, Iva A1 - Albrecht, Steve A1 - Matolin, Vladimir A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter T1 - Room temperature atomic layer deposited Al₂O₃ improves perovskite solar cells efficiency over time T2 - ChemSusChem N2 - Electrical characterisation of perovskite solar cells consisting of room-temperature atomic-layer-deposited aluminium oxide (RT-ALD-Al₂O₃) film on top of a methyl ammonium lead triiodide (CH₃NH₃PbI₃) absorber showed excellent stability of the power conversion efficiency (PCE) over along time. Under the same environmental conditions (for 355 d), the average PCE of solar cells without the ALD layer decreased from 13.6 to 9.6 %, whereas that of solar cells containing 9 ALD cycles of depositing RT-ALD-Al₂O₃on top of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ increased from 9.4 to 10.8 %. Spectromicroscopic investigations of the ALD/perovskite interface revealed that the maximum PCE with the ALD layer is obtained when the so-called perovskite cleaning process induced by ALD precursors is complete. The PCE enhancement over time is probably related to a self-healing process induced by the RT-ALD-Al₂O₃ film. This work may provide a new direction for further improving the long-term stability and performance of perovskite solar cells. KW - Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) KW - Atomic layer deposition (ALD) KW - long time stabilty KW - X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) KW - Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201801434 SN - 1864-5631 SN - 1864-564X VL - 11 IS - 20 SP - 3640 EP - 3648 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Henkel, Karsten A1 - Naumann, Franziska A1 - Gargouri, Hassan A1 - Tarnawska, Lidia Lupina A1 - Wilker, Viola A1 - Kus, Peter A1 - Pożarowska, Emilia A1 - Garain, Samiran A1 - Rouissi, Zied A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter T1 - Comparison of plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition AlN films prepared with different plasma sources T2 - Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A N2 - A comparative study of thin aluminum nitride (AlN) films deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition in the SENTECH SI ALD LL system applying either a direct inductively coupled plasma (ICP) or an indirect capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) source is presented. The films prepared with the ICP source (based on a planar triple spiral antenna) exhibit improved properties concerning the growth rate per cycle, total cycle duration, homogeneity, refractive index, fixed and mobile electrical charges, and residual oxygen content compared to the CCP source, where the comparison is based on the applied plasma power of 200 W. The increase of the plasma power to 600 W in the ICP process significantly reduces the residual oxygen content and enhances the electrical breakdown field. The AlN layers grown under these conditions, with a growth rate per cycle of 1.54 Å/cycle, contain residual oxygen and carbon concentrations of about 10% and 4%, respectively, and possess a refractive index of 2.07 (at 632.8 nm). KW - Plamsa-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) KW - inductively coupled KW - capacitively coupled KW - plamsa source KW - ellipsometry KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) KW - X-ray diffraction (XRD) KW - Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) KW - capacitance-voltage (CV) KW - atomic force microscopy Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5079628 SN - 0734-2101 SN - 1520-8559 VL - 37 IS - 2 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kotwica, Tomasz A1 - Domaradzki, Jarosław A1 - Wojcieszak, Damian A1 - Sikora, Andrzej A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter T1 - Analysis of surface properties of Ti-Cu-Ox gradient thin films using AFM and XPS investigations T2 - Materials Science-Poland N2 - The paper presents results of investigations on surface properties of transparent semiconducting thin films based on (Ti-Cu)oxide system prepared using multi-magnetron sputtering system. The thin films were prepared using two programmed profiles of pulse widt hmodulation coefficient, so called V- and U-shape profiles. The applied powering profiles allowed fabrication of thin films with gradient distribution of Ti and Cu elements over the thickness of deposited layers. Optical investigations allowed determination of transparency of prepared films that reached up to 60 % in the visible part of optical radiation, which makes them attractive for the transparent electronics domain. Surface properties investigations showed that the surface of mixed (Ti-Cu)oxides was sensitive to adsorption, in particular to carbon dioxide and water vapor. Soft etching with argon ions resulted in surface cleaning from residuals, however, deoxidation of Cu-oxide components was also observed. KW - surface KW - gradient distribution KW - thin film oxide Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2478/msp-2018-0100 SN - 0137-1339 SN - 2083-1331 SN - 2083-134X VL - 36 IS - 4 SP - 761 EP - 768 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Obstarczyk, Agata A1 - Kaczmarek, Danuta A1 - Wojcieszak, Damian A1 - Mazur, Michał A1 - Domaradzki, Jarosław A1 - Kotwica, Tomasz A1 - Pastuszek, Roman A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter A1 - Mazur, Piotr A1 - Kot, Małgorzata T1 - Tailoring optical and electrical properties of thin-film coatings based on mixed Hf and Ti oxides for optoelectronic application T2 - Materials and Design N2 - In this work multi-magnetron sputtering stand was used for the deposition of the mixed oxides thin films based on HfO2 and TiO2. In order to obtain various material composition the power released to each magnetron (containing metallic hafnium and titanium targets) was precisely selected. Structural, surface, optical, electrical and mechanical properties of as-deposited coatings were analyzed. Depending on the hafnium content in the deposited thin films various types of the microstructure was obtained, i.e. HfO2-monoclinic, amorphous and TiO2-rutile. Increase of Ti content above 28 at. % in the as-prepared mixed oxides coatings caused their amorphization. It was found that with an increase of Ti content in prepared coatings their surface roughness and simultaneously water contact angle decreased. Performed measurements of electrical properties revealed that the lowest leakage current density in the range of 10−7 – 10−8 A/cm2 was obtained for amorphous coatings. Moreover, the tailoring of the dielectric constant was possible by a proper selection of material composition and microstructure of the deposited thin films. Average transparency in the visible wavelength region was in the range of ca. 79–86%. The influence of material composition and structure on shifting of the fundamental absorption edge and optical bandgap energy was also observed. The refractive index increased with an increase of Ti content, while extinction coefficient was the lowest for amorphous coatings. Additionally, hardness values were dependent on the material composition and optical packing density and were in the range from 7.6 GPa to 10.1 GPa. KW - Magnetron sputtering KW - Optical coatings KW - Electrical properties KW - Mixed oxides KW - HfO2 KW - TiO2 KW - High-k oxides KW - Amorphous thin films Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2019.107822 SN - 0264-1275 VL - 175 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Das, Chittaranjan A1 - Baran, Derya A1 - Saliba, Michael T1 - Themed issue on electronic properties and characterisation of perovskites T2 - Journal of Materials Chemistry C KW - perovskite solar cells KW - electronic properties of perovskites Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c9tc90085c SN - 2050-7526 SN - 2050-7534 VL - 7 SP - 5224 EP - 5225 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter A1 - Henkel, Karsten A1 - Pożarowska, Emilia A1 - Kegelmann, Lukas A1 - Tsud, Nataliya A1 - Kot, Małgorzata T1 - Point Defect-Mediated Interface Formation and Appearance of a Cooper Minimum for AlOₓ Atomic-Layer-Deposited Films on CH₃NH₃PbI₃ T2 - The Journal of Physical Chemistry. C N2 - We report on the interaction of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ substrates with AlOx films prepared by atomic layer deposition at room temperature. We use synchrotron radiation-based photoemission spectroscopy and study the Pb 4f, I 3d, and Al 2p core levels as well as the corresponding valence band states (Pb 5d and O 2p). A Cooper minimum is observed for both the Pb 5d and O 2p states, and it indicates that the bonding at the interface must be covalent. We focus on the electronic properties of the substrate and its interface and identify a delicate charge balance between polaronic and excitonic states in MAPI and AlOₓ. The perovskite vacancy sites, identified by changes in the core-level intensities, mediate the charge balance and covalent interaction. KW - Resonant photoelectron spectroscopy KW - Al₂O₃-CH₃NH₃PbI₃ interaction KW - Cooper minimum KW - point defects in CH₃NH₃PbI₃ KW - electronic structure of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b05282 SN - 1932-7447 SN - 1932-7455 VL - 123 IS - 38 SP - 23352 EP - 23360 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Henkel, Karsten A1 - Müller, Klaus A1 - Kegelmann, Lukas A1 - Albrecht, Steve A1 - Tsud, Nataliya A1 - Kús, Peter A1 - Matolinová, Iva A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter T1 - Al2O3-Atomic Layer Deposited Films on CH3NH3PbI3 : Intrinsic Defects and Passivation Mechanisms T2 - Energy Technology , The Journal of Physical Chemistry C N2 - The initial interaction of atomic layer deposited films of Al2O3 at room temperature on CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPI) films is studied. Synchrotron radiation–based photoelectron spectroscopy is applied to analyze the initial changes in the Al-derived features by comparing samples with different Al2O3 film thicknesses. It is found that polarons and excitons, both intrinsic defects of Al2O3, play a key role in the interface formation. The polaronic states uptake a charge from the MAPI substrate. This charge is transferred to and stabilized in the excitonic state of Al2O3 which is assigned to predominately tetrahedral coordinated Al sites. This charge transfer is initiated by vacancies present in the MAPI substrate and stabilizes a covalent bonding at the Al2O3–MAPI interface but also causes a roughening of the interface which may lead to the formation of grain boundaries. On top of the rough interface, 2D Al2O3 clusters with an increasing number of octahedrally coordinated Al—O bonds grow, and with increasing Al2O3 coverage, they introduce self-healing of the structural defects. KW - charge donation and transfer cycles KW - covalent interfaces KW - defect monitoring KW - model of Al2O3–CH3NH3PbI3 interactions KW - resonant photoelectron spectroscopy Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ente.201900975 SN - 2194-4288 SN - 2194-4296 VL - 7 IS - 11 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Vorokhta, Mykhailo A1 - Wang, Zhiping A1 - Snaith, Henry J. A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo T1 - Thermal stability of CH3NH3PbIxCl3-x versus [HC(NH2)2]0.83Cs0.17PbI2.7Br0.3 perovskite films by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy T2 - Applied Surface Science N2 - The thermal stability of CH3NH3PbIxCl3-x and [HC(NH2)2]0.83Cs0.17PbI2.7Br0.3 perovskite films was studied in-situ by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that below 85 °C both of them are relatively stable. After annealing above 85 °C, we observe a clear perovskite surface decomposition, i.e., a release of organic cations and creation of “metallic lead”. The mixed cation lead mixed halide perovskite, however, decomposes at a much lower rate. For both perovskite films, the metallic to the total lead ratio changes with the same rate for the same annealing temperatures. The release of A-site cations from the ABX3 crystal structure of perovskite and/or creation of “metallic lead” causes also a small shift of the valence band maximum towards the Fermi level. The release of [HC(NH2)2]± or Cs± is not as significant as the release of CH3NH3±; therefore, it may explain why [HC(NH2)2]0.83Cs0.17PbI2.7Br0.3 solar cells are thermally more stable. Therefore, as the stability of CH3NH3PbIxCl3-x is same as the stability of [HC(NH2)2]0.83Cs0.17PbI2.7Br0.3 below 85 °C, there must be more severe degradation pathways that are currently underappreciated on the solar cell level. KW - Hybrid organic inorganic perovskite solar cells KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy KW - Film degradation KW - Thermal stability Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.145596 SN - 0169-4332 SN - 1873-5584 VL - 513 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Laroussi, Arwa A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo A1 - Raouafi, Noureddine A1 - Mirsky, Vladimir M. T1 - Self-assembled monolayers from symmetrical di-thiols: Preparation, characterization and application for the assembly of electrochemically active films T2 - Applied Surface Science N2 - 1,3-dimercaptopropan-2-ol, a symmetrical di-thiol, has been synthesized and applied as a new type of anchor molecule to prepare a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the gold surface. The formed monolayers were studied by cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, kinetic capacitance, and contact angle measurements. The SAM structure depends on the adsorption conditions. A short incubation time of the electrode at high concentration of this di-thiol leads to the predominating binding through one thiol group of the adsorbate to the gold surface, while a long incubation at low concentration leads to the predominating binding by both thiol groups. A comparative study of the desorption and replacement of SAMs indicates a strong stability increase when the SAM molecules bond gold surface by two bonds mainly. This monolayer was used to immobilize electrochemically active p-benzoquinone moiety. The surface concentration of p-benzoquinone obtained from cyclic voltammetry is 2.5 ± 0.2 × 10−10 mol·cm−2 which corresponds to the functionalization of 65 ± 5% of SAM molecules. The obtained highly stable SAM with redox-active terminal group can be applied for different tasks of chemical sensing and biosensing. As an example, an application of this system for electrocatalytical oxidation of dihydronicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide (NADH) was tested. KW - self-assembled monolayer (SAM) KW - cyclic voltammetry KW - impedance spectroscopy KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) KW - kinetic capacitance KW - contact angle Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.145827 SN - 0169-4332 SN - 1873-5584 VL - 513 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Das, Chittaranjan A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Hellmann, Tim A1 - Wittich, Carolin A1 - Mankel, Eric A1 - Zimmermann, Iwan A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter A1 - Nazeeruddin, Mohammad Khaja A1 - Jaegermann, Wolfram T1 - Atomic Layer-Deposited Aluminum Oxide Hinders Iodide Migration and Stabilizes Perovskite Solar Cells T2 - Cell Reports Physical Science N2 - Iodide migration causes degradation of the perovskite solar cells. Here,we observe the direct migration of iodide into the hole-transport layer in a device. We demonstrate that ultrathin room temperature atomic layer-deposited Al2O3 on the perovskite surface very effectively hinders the migration. The perovskite-Al2O3 interface enables charge transfer across the Al2O3 layer in the solar cells, without causing any drastic changes in the properties of the perovskite absorber. Furthermore, it helps to preserve the initial properties of the perovskite film during exposure to light and air under real operating conditions, and thus, improves the stability of the solar cells. The ultrathin Al2O3 layer deposited at room temperature significantly increases the lifetime of the perovskite solar cells, and we hope this may be a step toward the mass production of stable devices. KW - perovskite solar cells KW - iodine migration KW - stability KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) KW - atomic layer deposition (ALD) KW - aluminum oxide (Al2O3) Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2020.100112 SN - 2666-3864 VL - 1 IS - 7 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Kegelmann, Lukas A1 - Köbler, Hans A1 - Vorokhta, Mykhailo A1 - Escudero, Carlos A1 - Kúš, Peter A1 - Šmíd, Břetislav A1 - Tallarida, Massimo A1 - Albrecht, Steve A1 - Abate, Antonio A1 - Matolínová, Iva A1 - Schmeißer, Dieter A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo T1 - In situ Near-Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Reveals the Influence of Photon Flux and Water on the Stability of Halide Perovskite T2 - ChemSusChem N2 - For several years, scientists have been trying to understand the mechanisms that reduce the long‐term stability of perovskite solar cells. In this work, we examined the effect of water and photon flux on the stability of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films and solar cells using in situ near‐ambient pressure X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP‐XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and current density–voltage (J–V) characterization. The used amount of water vapor (up to 1 mbar) had a negligible impact on the perovskite film. The higher the photon flux, the more prominent were the changes in the NAP‐XPS and FESEM data; also, a faster decline in power conversion efficiency (PCE) and a more substantial hysteresis in the J‐V characteristics were observed. Based on our results, it can be concluded that the PCE decrease originates from the creation of Frenkel pair defects in the perovskite film under illumination. The stronger the illumination, the higher the number of Frenkel defects, leading to a faster PCE decline and more substantial hysteresis in the J‐V sweeps. KW - field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) KW - Frenkel defects KW - near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) KW - perovskite KW - photon-induced degradation Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202001527 SN - 1864-5631 SN - 1864-564X VL - 13 IS - 21 SP - 5722 EP - 5730 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Mahmoodinezhad, Ali A1 - Morales, Carlos A1 - Naumann, Franziska A1 - Plate, Paul A1 - Meyer, Robert A1 - Janowitz, Christoph A1 - Henkel, Karsten A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo T1 - Low-temperature atomic layer deposition of indium oxide thin films using trimethylindium and oxygen plasma T2 - Verhandlungen der DPG - SurfaceScience21 N2 - Indium oxide thin films were deposited on Si (100) by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using trimethylindium (TMIn) and oxygen plasma (O2) in a low-temperature range of 80 to 200 °C. The In2O3 layers were characterized by in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrical measurements. The SE data show a growth rate of 0.56 Å/cycle within the ALD window (100 to 150 °C) with a thickness inhomogeneity of ≤1.2%. In addition, the highest refractive index is 2.07 (at 632.8 nm) for the layer grown at 150 °C, and the films exhibit indirect and direct band gaps of 2.8±0.1 eV and 3.3±0.2 eV, respectively. XPS characterization indicates no carbon incorporation and a temperature-dependent off-stoichiometry of the layers. The chemical analysis of the In 3d and O 1s core levels confirms the formation of In-O bonds and suggests the additional presence of hydroxyl groups and defects. With increasing temperature, the contribution of OH groups and defects decreases whereas that of In-O bonds increases. Notably, higher growth temperatures result in an indium rich phase within the layers. KW - Indium oxide KW - Plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition KW - Spectroscopic ellipsometry KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy Y1 - 2021 UR - https://www.dpg-verhandlungen.de/year/2021/conference/surfacescience/part/o/session/74/contribution/8 VL - 2021 PB - Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft e.V. CY - Bad Honnef ER - TY - GEN A1 - Laroussi, Arwa A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo A1 - Raouafi, Noureddine A1 - Mirsky, Vladimir M. T1 - Self-Assembled Monolayers from Symmetrical Di-Thiols: Preparation, Characterization and Application for the Assembly of Electrochemically Active Films T2 - Engineering Proceedings N2 - 1,3-dimercaptopropan-2-ol, a symmetrical di-thiol, has been synthesized and applied as a new type of anchor molecule to prepare a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a gold surface. The formed monolayers were studied by cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, kinetic capacitance, and contact angle measurements. The SAM structure depends on the adsorption conditions. A short incubation time of the electrode at high concentration of this di-thiol leads to the predominating binding through one thiol group of the adsorbate to the gold surface, while a long incubation at low concentration leads to the predominating binding by both thiol groups. A comparative study of the desorption and replacement of SAMs indicates a strong stability increase when the SAM molecules bond gold surfaces by two bonds mainly. This monolayer was used to immobilize electrochemically active p-benzoquinone moiety. The surface concentration of p-benzoquinone obtained from cyclic voltammetry is 2.5 ± 0.2 × 10−10 mol cm−2, which corresponds to the functionalization of 65 ± 5% of SAM molecules. The obtained highly stable SAM with redox-active terminal group can be applied for different tasks of chemical sensing and biosensing. As an example, an application of this system for electrocatalytical oxidation of dihydronicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide (NADH) was tested. KW - self-assembled monolayer KW - immobilization fashion KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy KW - p-benzoquinone KW - electron transfer KW - cyclic voltammetry KW - NADH sensor Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/I3S2021Dresden-10112 SN - 2673-4591 N1 - Presented at the 8th International Symposium on Sensor Science, 17–28 May 2021 VL - 6 IS - 1 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Mahmoodinezhad, Ali A1 - Morales, Carlos A1 - Naumann, Franziska A1 - Plate, Paul A1 - Meyer, Robert A1 - Janowitz, Christoph A1 - Henkel, Karsten A1 - Kot, Małgorzata A1 - Zöllner, Marvin Hartwig A1 - Wenger, Christian A1 - Flege, Jan Ingo T1 - Low-temperature atomic layer deposition of indium oxide thin films using trimethylindium and oxygen plasma T2 - Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A N2 - Indium oxide (InxOy) thin films were deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using trimethylindium and oxygen plasma in a low-temperature range of 80–200 °C. The optical properties, chemical composition, crystallographic structure, and electrical characteristics of these layers were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), as well as current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements. The SE results yielded a nearly constant growth rate of 0.56 Å per cycle and a thickness inhomogeneity of ≤1.2% across 4-in. substrates in the temperature range of 100–150 °C. The refractive index (at 632.8 nm) was found to be 2.07 for the films deposited at 150 °C. The PEALD-InxOy layers exhibit a direct (3.3 ± 0.2 eV) and an indirect (2.8 ± 0.1 eV) bandgap with an uptrend for both with increasing substrate temperature. Based on XPS characterization, all InxOy samples are free of carbon impurities and show a temperature-dependent off-stoichiometry indicating oxygen vacancies. XRD diffraction patterns demonstrate an onset of crystallization at 150 °C. Consistent with the optical, XPS, and XRD data, the films deposited at ≥150 °C possess higher electrical conductivity. Our findings prove that a low-temperature PEALD process of InxOy is feasible and promising for a high-quality thin-film deposition without chemical impurities on thermally fragile substrates. KW - Indium oxide KW - Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition KW - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy KW - Ellipsometry KW - X-ray diffraction KW - Electrical properties Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001375 SN - 0734-2101 SN - 1520-8559 VL - 39 IS - 6 ER -