Researchers from the European research projects SMARTLINE-PV, OPVStability, GreenOMorph and the Austrian Science Fund project HalOMat joined forces for a collaborative beamtime at the ALBA Synchrotron near Barcelona, Spain. The joint experiments focused on detailed structural investigations of thin films using grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). We also thank the ALBA beamline scientists for their highly valuable support and expertise throughout the measurements, which contributed significantly to the successful beamtime.
For SMARTLINE-PV, the measurements provided a valuable opportunity to investigate the crystal structure, crystallinity and preferential crystal orientation of lead-free tin perovskite thin films. Particular attention was paid to understanding how different processing conditions influence film formation and structural properties, which play a crucial role in determining the efficiency and stability of tin-based perovskite solar cells.
The investigations provide new insights into the correlations between structural properties and photovoltaic performance, helping to identify critical factors affecting charge transport, recombination and device efficiency. These findings will provide valuable input for the further optimization of tin perovskite materials and solar cells within SMARTLINE-PV.
The joint beamtime also highlighted the benefits of scientific collaboration and knowledge exchange between European research projects, combining complementary expertise to advance next-generation photovoltaic technologies.