New Features of Photochemical Decomposition of Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskites by Laser Irradiation

We found that laser irradiation, being widely used in perovskite photovoltaics for both laser scribing and materials characterization, inevitably causes a cascade of complex photo- and thermochemical conjugated reactions, material melting, and ablation with deep morphological and composition changes of perovskite thin films over a much larger area compared to the initial laser spot. A crucial issue in the advancing or suppression of these degradation processes is related to the origin of the surrounding atmosphere. In particular, an effective approach utilizing an inert gas flow directed onto the exposed area is suggested for the first time to eliminate the negative consequences of perovskite laser scribing. This finding is naturally related to experimental observations of spreading the volatile decomposition products, including elemental iodine, over the pristine perovskite material, regardless of its composition, followed by laser-induced formation of liquid polyiodides. Suppression of decomposition product amount by proper selection of the gas atmosphere and power regime of the laser treatment is of interest to enhance the scribing procedure.