Shining (X-ray) Light on Structural Distortions in Perovskites toward Improved Photovoltaic Stability
David Fenning a
a University of California San Diego, California 92093-0021, United States of America
Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2026 Conference (MATSUSSpring26)
G1 Advanced characterisation of perovskites: electrons and photons
Barcelona, Spain, 2026 March 23rd - 27th
Organizers: Stefania Cacovich and Giorgio Divitini
Invited Speaker, David Fenning, presentation 590
Publication date: 15th December 2025

The compositional and process flexibility of halide perovskites is fundamentally attractive for discovering new materials and novel functionality. However, the same flexibility also gives rise to operational instability due to phase and structural defect formation. The final film is a result of a complex evolution from solution through crystallization and grain grwoth with exquisite process sensitivity and contains significant heterogeneities at the nanoscale. In this talk, I will focus on our efforts to understand and reign in the substantial microscopic complexities in halide perovskites for solar energy conversion and the design of perovskite processing for stability. I will highlight in situ X-ray microscopy as a unique lens we use to investigate the relationship between structural templates, crystallization pathways, nanoscale chemistry and the functional photovoltaic properties. By assembling correlative microscopy data at the nanoscale in unadulterated film and device stacks, the X-ray microscopy provides foundational insights regarding crystallization pathways to reduce structural defects and improve optoelectronic operational stability.

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