skip to main content


Title: Automated Fabrication of Perovskite Photovoltaics Using Inkjet Printing and Intense Pulse Light Annealing
  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1828355
NSF-PAR ID:
10286852
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Energy Technology
Volume:
9
Issue:
10
ISSN:
2194-4288
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Rapid advancements within photovoltaics realm necessitates swift fabrication of the modules using cheap materials through cost effective manufacturing processes to achieve short cost payback time. Photovoltaics manufacturing includes chemical processing of the materials followed by thermal annealing. Yet, long-term annealing of the materials using high temperature furnaces have remained the prevalent post-processing approach in industry which necessitates alternative methods to achieve high performance modules through rapid and economical processes. Intense pulse light (IPL) has been successfully applied as a promising rapid post-process annealing for various thin film photovoltaics, particularly to process the organic-inorganic perovskite solar cell (PSC) layers. In this paper, several results pertinent to the application of IPL on perovskite and SnO2 electron transport thin films are presented and the role of IPL on rapid thermal annealing (RTA) is explained. We show that swift fabrication of PSCs through IPL can result in efficiencies exceeding 16% when the Perovskite film is annealed with aid of CH2I2 alkyl halide additive in the ambient with 60% relative humidity. In addition, the synergy of IPL-alkyl halide interaction for other perovskite chemistries is introduced. We show that achieving to PSCs exceeding 12% efficiency was possible when the perovskite and SnO2 ETL was annealed sequentially through IPL. 
    more » « less
  2. The organic metal halide perovskite material is capable of high throughput manufacturing via traditional deposition processes used in roll-to-roll, yet thermal annealing post deposition may require long ovens. We report rapid annealed perovskite thin films using intense pulsed light (IPL) to initiate a radiative thermal response that is enabled by an alkyl halide additive that collectively improves the performance of a device processed in an ambient environment from a baseline of 10 to 16.5% efficiency. Previous reports on CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 perovskite films using IPL processing achieved functional devices in milli-second time scales and are promising for high throughput manufacturing processes under ambient conditions. In this study, we found that the addition of diiodomethane (CH 2 I 2 ) as an additive to the methylammonium iodide (MAI)/lead iodide (PbI 2 ) precursor ink chemistry and subsequent IPL thermal annealing are inter-dependent. The concentration of CH 2 I 2 and IPL processing parameters have a direct effect on the surface morphology of the films and performance within a perovskite solar cell (PSC). The CH 2 I 2 dissociates under exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the IPL source liberating iodine ions in the film, influencing the perovskite formation and reducing the defect states. We anticipate that these results can be utilized to further develop different ink formulations using alkyl halides for the IPL technique to improve the performance of perovskite solar cells processed in ambient conditions. 
    more » « less
  3.  
    more » « less
  4. Abstract

    Flexible perovskite solar cells (f‐PSCs) have attracted great attention due to their promising commercial prospects. However, the performance off‐PSCs is generally worse than that of their rigid counterparts. Herein, it is found that the unsatisfactory performance of planar heterojunction (PHJ)f‐PSCs can be attributed to the undesirable morphology of electron transport layer (ETL), which results from the rough surface of the flexible substrate. Precise control over the thickness and morphology of ETL tin dioxide (SnO2) not only reduces the reflectance of the indium tin oxide (ITO) on polyethylene 2,6‐naphthalate (PEN) substrate and enhances photon collection, but also decreases the trap‐state densities of perovskite films and the charge transfer resistance, leading to a great enhancement of device performance. Consequently, thef‐PSCs, with a structure of PEN/ITO/SnO2/perovskite/Spiro‐OMeTAD/Ag, exhibit a power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 19.51% and a steady output of 19.01%. Furthermore, thef‐PSCs show a robust bending resistance and maintain about 95% of initial PCE after 6000 bending cycles at a bending radius of 8 mm, and they present an outstanding long‐term stability and retain about 90% of the initial performance after >1000 h storage in air (10% relative humidity) without encapsulation.

     
    more » « less
  5. Abstract

    Electron transport layer (ETL) is a functional layer of great significance for boosting the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To date, it is still a challenge to simultaneously reduce the surface defects and improve the crystallinity in ETLs during their low‐temperature processing. Here, a novel strategy for the mediation of in situ regrowth of SnO2nanocrystal ETLs is reported: introduction of controlled trace amounts of surface absorbed water on the fluorinated tin oxide (FTO) or indium–tin oxide (ITO) surfaces of the substrates using ultraviolet ozone (UVO) pretreatment. The optimum amount of adsorbed water plays a key role in balancing the hydrolysis–condensation reactions during the structural evolution of SnO2thin films. This new approach results in a full‐coverage SnO2ETL with a desirable morphology and crystallinity for superior optical and electrical properties, as compared to the control SnO2ETL without the UVO pretreatment. Finally, the rigid and flexible PSC devices based on the new SnO2ETLs yield high PCEs of up to 20.5% and 17.5%, respectively.

     
    more » « less