Functional Imaging of Halide Perovskites Using Environmental Atomic Force Microscopy

Thin film halide perovskites are formed by mesoscale constructs, which dictate their macroscopic performance in optoelectronics. Thus, quantifying their local electrical response if crucial for fully understanding the physical and chemical processes that dominate these materials. We combine scanning photocurrent microscopy and environmental Kelvin-probe force microscopy to map the current and voltage changes that occur once the perovskites are exposed to stressing conditions. In this talk, I will present our framework for implementing these experiments, and the discoveries enabled by them (e.g., real-time observation of ion migration, influence of Cs-cation on improved voltage, etc.). Overall, our advanced measurements could be extended to interrogate other energy materials.