Understanding charge trapping/detrapping at the zinc oxide (ZnO)/MAPbI3 perovskite interface in the dark and under illumination using a ZnO/perovskite/ZnO test platform.

We fabricated a zinc oxide (ZnO)/methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite/ZnO field effect transistor (FET) test platform device through which ZnO/perovskite interfacial contact properties can be probed in the dark and under illumination. Using pulsed laser deposition, highly conductive (0.014 Ω cm) ZnO source and drain electrodes were fabricated allowing for the investigation of the interfacial charge transfer properties through current-voltage characteristics of a ZnO/perovskite/ZnO FET. With a bottom-contact FET device, gate voltage dependent current hysteresis in the drain current-gate voltage curves was probed at low temperature to minimize the effect of ion migration on electronic charge transport in the perovskite layer. Under illumination, importantly, ZnO/perovskite electrical contact properties were significantly altered due to electronic energy barrier change at the interface arising from the detrapping of electrons from the ZnO/perovskite interface, resulting in an enhanced dark current and a suppressed photocurrent. The origin of current hysteresis in the ZnO/perovskite/ZnO FET device is discussed relating it to interfacial charging/discharging associated with ultraviolet (UV)-induced oxygen adsorption/desorption. The results presented herein demonstrate that interfacial electronic properties at the donor (perovskite)/acceptor (ZnO) interface can be altered by photoinduced carrier trapping/detrapping, providing insights that UV-induced persistent photoconduction in transition metal oxide electron transport layers including ZnO may be contributing to the current hysteresis observed in the perovskite photovoltaic devices.