Bandgap Tuning of Silver Bismuth Iodide via Controllable Bromide Substitution for Improved Photovoltaic Performance

Abstract

In this work, silver–bismuth–halide thin films, exhibiting low toxicity and good stability, were explored systemically by gradually substituting iodide, I, with bromide, Br, in the AgBi2I7 system. It was found that the optical bandgap can be tuned by varying the I/Br ratio. Moreover, the film quality was improved when introducing a small amount of Br. The solar cell was demonstrated to be more stable at ambient conditions and most efficient when incorporating 10% Br, as a result of decreased recombination originating from the increased grain size. Thus, replacing a small amount of I with Br was beneficial for photovoltaic performance.