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7073889 
Journal Article 
Removal of Surface Oxygen Vacancies Increases Conductance Through TiO2 Thin Films for Perovskite Solar Cells 
Klasen, A; Weber, SAL; Kim, H; Butt, HJ; Tremel, W; Berger, R; Baumli, P; Sheng, Qu; Johannes, E; Bretschneider, SA; Hermes, IM; Bergmann, VW; Gort, C; Axt, A; , 
2019 
Yes 
Journal of Physical Chemistry C
ISSN: 1932-7447
EISSN: 1932-7455 
AMER CHEMICAL SOC 
WASHINGTON 
123 
22 
13458-13466 
English 
31205577 
WOS:000470938400010 
We report that UV-ozone treatment of TiO2 anatase thin films is an efficient method to increase the conductance through the film by more than 2 orders of magnitude. The increase in conductance is quantified via conductive scanning force microscopy on freshly annealed and UV-ozone-treated TiO2 anatase thin films on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates. The increased conductance of TiO2 anatase thin films results in a 2% increase of the average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of methylammonium lead iodide-based perovskite solar cells. PCE values up to 19.5% for mesoporous solar cells are realized. The additional UV-ozone treatment results in a reduced number of oxygen vacancies at the surface, inferred from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These oxygen vacancies at the surface act as charge carrier traps and hinder charge extraction from the adjacent material. Terahertz measurements indicate only minor changes of the bulk conductance, which underlines the importance of UV-ozone treatment to control surface-based defects. 
The journal of physical chemistry. C, Nanomaterials and interfaces