UC San Diego

With global efforts transitioning toward renewable energy, solar power holds immense potential for reliable electricity generation. Metal halide perovskites have emerged as promising photovoltaic semiconductors due to their remarkable optoelectronic properties, including high absorption coefficients, tunable bandgaps, and high charge carrier mobility. In addition, low-temperature solution processing offers advantages in cost and scalability. However, their susceptibility to degradation under operating conditions remains a barrier to widespread commercialization. This thesis reports on high throughput research enabled by streamlining and adding capabilities to the existing automated fabrication and characterization setup at the Solar Energy Innovation Lab. Additionally, three distinct approaches were explored to improve perovskite solar cell performance and stability: (1) cationic substitution for lattice stabilization, (2) intermediate phase promoting additives to enhance perovskite film crystallization, and (3) metal oxide nanoparticle-based charge transport layers for optimized band alignment and higher open-circuit voltage. Finally, contributions towards developing international standard compliant degradation testing facilities is presented.