Open Access Received: 13 September 2025   |   Accepted: 30 October 2025   |   Published: 10 November 2025

OPERATIONAL STABILITY OF INVERTED PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELLS UNDER INERT AND VACUUM CONDITIONS: THE ROLE OF ION MIGRATION, ELECTRODES

Julliev Z.N, Oblakulov.A.O, Toshmamatov D.A, Rakhimov R.Y, Ashurov N.R.

Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Physics Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, 100128, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

---

Abstract. The long-term operational stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) remains a critical challenge for their commercialization, as device performance is often compromised by intrinsic degradation processes that are masked in ambient environments. Here, we systematically investigate the stability of inverted PSCs with the architecture ITO/PTAA/MAPbI₃/PCBM/AZO/Ag under controlled atmospheres, continuous illumination, and thermal stress. Under nitrogen (N₂) in a glovebox, devices preserved >95% of their initial power conversion efficiency (PCE ≈ 16.5%) over 250 hours at 60 °C, with minimal decline in short-circuit current density (Jsc) and stable open-circuit voltage (Voc). In contrast, devices subjected to high vacuum (10⁻⁴ mbar) under identical conditions exhibited accelerated degradation, with PCE dropping to 12% within 250 hours and further plummeting to 3% after 95 hours under continuous 520 nm LED illumination (20 mW cm⁻²). The sharp decline in Jsc and catastrophic fill factor (FF) losses indicate interfacial deterioration, electrode corrosion, and enhanced trap-assisted recombination. Intriguingly, while Voc remained largely unaffected, the divergence in FF evolution between nitrogen-stored and vacuum-stressed devices reveals distinct charge extraction limitations under different environments. These findings underscore the critical role of vacuum and thermal stress testing in isolating intrinsic failure pathways—including ion migration, perovskite lattice instability, and Ag electrode corrosion—that are otherwise suppressed by extrinsic factors such as oxygen and moisture. Our results highlight the urgent need for robust barrier strategies and interface engineering to suppress ion migration and stabilize charge transport layers, thereby enabling perovskite solar cells to meet the rigorous reliability demands required for real-world deployment. This work offers a promising strategy for designing vacuum-resilient OHP solar cells, with strong implications for space-based photovoltaic applications.

---

Key words. Perovskite solar cells , Stability, degradation,Ion migration,Inverted architecture,Operational lifetime ,Vacuum stress testing


DOI: http://uzpolymerjournal.com/articles/article.php?id=250308

*Corresponding author: Julliev Z.N, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Physics Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, 100128, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Citation: Julliev Z.N, Oblakulov.A.O, Toshmamatov D.A, Rakhimov R.Y, Ashurov N.R., OPERATIONAL STABILITY OF INVERTED PEROVSKITE SOLAR CELLS UNDER INERT AND VACUUM CONDITIONS: THE ROLE OF ION MIGRATION, ELECTRODES. Uzbekistan Journal of Polymers, Vol. 4(3) 2025: pp.74-83. DOI: http://uzpolymerjournal.com/articles/article.php?id=250308

©2025 Uzbekistan Journal of Polymers