Plasmonic Metal Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photon Management in Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract

Plasmonic integration provides an opportunity to improve light control in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs). In this study, perovskite thin films integrated with Au, Ag, Al, and Ti metal layers were systematically investigated under identical processing conditions. Ultrathin metal films (~ 10 nm) were annealed at 500 °C and 700 °C to induce nanoparticle formation by solid-state dewetting and to test the resulting structural and optical evolution. The UV-Vis results indicate a clear metal-dependent optical response, with Au-integrated films showing the most pronounced enhancment in visible-region absorption (~ 4% increase) compared to the reference perovskite film, while Ag, Al, and Ti show limited or inconsistent enhancement. Structural characterization (XRD, SEM, and AFM) reveals that these differences are driven by nanoparticle formation, distribution, and thermal stability, with higher annealing temperatures resulting in particle coarsening and increased optical damping. TOF-SIMS analysis reveals significant compositional and structural changes, especially at high temperatures. Overall, the findings show that the optical response is strongly influenced by metal type and annealing conditions, with Au exhibiting the most favorable behavior under the conditions tested. These findings emphasize the significance of material selection and thermal processing in tuning plasmon-related effects in perovskite films and provide guidance for future device design.