Swansea University has established a low-cost, scalable carbon ink formulation that can unlock the potential for large-scale manufacturing of perovskite solar cells for the first time.
Using slot die coating in a roll-to-roll (R2R) process, academics at Swansea University’s SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Center have established a method to create ‘fully printable’ perovskite photovoltaics (PV) . Wrong now.
The team sought an alternative to gold electrodes, which are typically applied using an expensive and time-consuming evaporation process after the device is printed.
Dr. David Beynon, senior research officer at SPECIFIC, said:
“X-ray diffraction analysis showed that carbon electrode inks make this possible when formulated with an orthogonal solvent system.
“This innovative layer can be applied continuously at low temperatures and high speeds while remaining compatible with the underlying layer.”
This new work, published in Advanced Materials, received funding from the European Regional Development Fund through the Government of Wales, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through SPECIFIC, and the Application Targeted and Integrated Photovoltaics (ATIP) program grants. I’m here.
Professor Tristan Watson, Head of Photovoltaic Research, said: The ability to manufacture fully functional devices completely in-line makes mass production easier and more economical, and represents a major step towards commercialization. It unlocks the idea of a manufacturing process where solar ink is added to one end and solar cells emerge from the other end. ”
Devices with carbon electrodes, as part of small-scale devices on rigid glass substrates, offer photovoltaic performance similar to conventional evaporated gold electrodes, with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 13–14%, The higher the temperature, the better the long-term stability.
A new fully R2R-coated device printed on a 20-meter-long flexible substrate produced a stable power conversion efficiency of 10.8%.
SPECIFIC Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Ershad Parvazian said:
“Over the last few years, the efficiency of these devices has increased, and it is hoped that they will have the potential to be fully printed. This work proves that.”
This new generation of solar cells benefits greatly from a unique collaborative structure, with its creators, a team of Swansea University chemists, materials scientists and engineers all on site.
In just four years, this innovative method of PV has been designed and created, evaluated and analyzed in detail, adapted and improved, and has the potential to print and install millions of meters of solar cells around the world like never before. It’s getting close.
Professor Watson said:
“To make this happen, we need to start making things that actually look like solar panels. I can see if it can be done.”
Original: Swansea University Academics Develop World’s First Fully Roll-to-Roll Printable Perovskite Solar Cells
Than: Swansea University
