EIR: Close-Space Sublimation for Scalable Perovskite Optoelectronics Manufacturing

Metal halide perovskites have emerged as one of the most promising semiconductor materials for next-generation optoelectronic technologies, including solar cells, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, and integrated photonic circuits. Their exceptional optical and electronic properties can be achieved using inexpensive materials and low-temperature processing, offering the potential to transform semiconductor manufacturing. However, current fabrication methods rely primarily on laboratory-scale solution processing, which suffers from poor reproducibility, material waste, and limited scalability, creating a major barrier to commercial manufacturing. This project, a collaboration between Albany State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, will establish the scientific foundation for manufacturing hybrid perovskite thin films using close-space sublimation (CSS), a scalable vapor-phase deposition technique widely used for conventional semiconductors but largely unexplored for hybrid perovskites. By uncovering the fundamental principles governing crystal nucleation, growth, and phase formation during CSS, this work will enable reproducible, large-area fabrication of high-quality perovskite thin films for advanced optoelectronic technologies. The research will strengthen U.S. leadership in advanced semiconductor manufacturing by providing scalable processing strategies for emerging electronic and photonic materials. As a partnership between Albany State University and Georgia Tech, the project will provide undergraduate students with hands-on research experiences through summer exchanges, collaborative mentoring, and research-integrated educational activities that prepare them for careers in semiconductor manufacturing and advanced materials. Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites exhibit complex crystallization behavior arising from the coupled thermodynamics and kinetics of organic and inorganic precursor transport, making predictive vapor-phase manufacturing a major scientific challenge. This project will establish a mechanistic understanding of close-space sublimation for hybrid perovskites by investigating four integrated research thrusts: (1) developing quantitative models that relate vapor transport, temperature gradients, and source-substrate spacing to nucleation and crystal growth; (2) implementing seed-assisted growth and molecular interface engineering to control crystal orientation and phase purity; (3) engineering vapor-grown 2D/3D heterostructures for defect passivation and interfacial stability; and (4) developing compositionally controlled vapor deposition to understand intrinsic doping and junction formation. Integrated in situ and ex situ characterization, together with process modeling, will establish structure-process-property relationships that connect deposition conditions to crystal structure, defect formation, and optoelectronic performance. The resulting scientific framework will establish close-space sublimation as a predictive and scalable manufacturing platform for hybrid perovskite semiconductors while generating broadly applicable knowledge for vapor-phase processing of next-generation electronic, photonic, and quantum materials. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.