Shift happens. How halide ion defects influence photoinduced segregation in mixed halide perovskites

Minimizing photoinduced segregation in mixed halide lead perovskites is important for achieving stable photovoltaic performance. The shift in the absorption and the rate of formation of iodide- and bromide-rich regions following visible excitation of mixed halide lead perovskites is found to strongly depend on the halide ion concentration. Slower formation and recovery rates observed in halide-deficient films indicate the involvement of defect sites in influencing halide phase segregation. At higher halide concentrations (in stoichiometric excess), segregation effects become less prominent, as evidenced by faster recovery kinetics. These results suggest that light-induced compositional segregation can be minimized in mixed halide perovskite films by using excess halide ions. The findings from this study further reflect the importance of halide ion post-treatment of perovskite films to improve their solar cell performance.