The development of spray-coated perovskite solar cells
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Spray coating is an industrially mature technique that is used in the aerospace and automobile industries. Here, it is routinely used to deposit paints and surface-protection layers, and combines high throughput with the ability to coat non-planar surfaces with very low amounts of material waste. Recent work has shown that it can also be used to deposit materials used in electronic devices. In particular, it can be used to deposit all of the layers in a so-called 'perovskite solar cell', making fully 'spray-coated' solar cells a reality.
Perovskite semiconductors have emerged over the last decade, and can now be used to create solar cells that have an efficiency that matches that of silicon-based devices - the market-leading material. Spray-coated perovskite solar cells have now demonstrated power conversion efficiencies up to 21%, with such performance giving confidence that the technology will scale well. The most significant advantage of spray-coating over other competing deposition techniques is that there is no direct contact between the spray-head and the surface. This allows solar-cell devices to be coated over non-planar substrates of arbitrary geometry. Indeed, recent work has demonstrated that solar-cells can be spray-coated over curved glass surfaces, with devices having a power conversion efficiency of 15%.
In this project, the student will develop a manufacturing process to spray-coat high efficiency solar cells onto the surface of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites having a non-planar geometry (e.g aerofoils, cylinders etc). As part of this, we will optimise solar cell spray-coating processes to create larger cells, speed up and improve the quality and yield of cells. we believe the deposition of perovskite solar cells via spray-coating onto non-planar surfaces has the potential to be truly disruptive in terms of the way solar-power is generated and used in mobile transportation applications. Such an application cannot be realised using conventional flexible solar cells that are laminated onto a surface as such devices typically a much higher weight per unit area and also cannot be fixed onto surfaces that curve in more than one direction. Rather, the spray-on techniques that we target will allow devices to be directly integrated onto the surface of components that have a complex geometry.
Central to this research project are the substrates onto which we will spray-coat solar cells; namely carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. These materials are created by embedding a woven carbon fibre mesh in an epoxy resin, with the resultant material having very high tensile strength whilst being extremely light weight. We believe that by establishing a process technology by which perovskite solar cells can be sprayed onto CFRP surfaces, we will realise structural, engineering materials that are capable of generating sustainable energy. One of the key applications we target here is solar trickle-charging of electric vehicles. When developed, our proposed technology has the potential to have a significant impact on the success of the UK to transition to a low-carbon economy and ultimately reach net-zero.
Perovskite semiconductors have emerged over the last decade, and can now be used to create solar cells that have an efficiency that matches that of silicon-based devices - the market-leading material. Spray-coated perovskite solar cells have now demonstrated power conversion efficiencies up to 21%, with such performance giving confidence that the technology will scale well. The most significant advantage of spray-coating over other competing deposition techniques is that there is no direct contact between the spray-head and the surface. This allows solar-cell devices to be coated over non-planar substrates of arbitrary geometry. Indeed, recent work has demonstrated that solar-cells can be spray-coated over curved glass surfaces, with devices having a power conversion efficiency of 15%.
In this project, the student will develop a manufacturing process to spray-coat high efficiency solar cells onto the surface of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites having a non-planar geometry (e.g aerofoils, cylinders etc). As part of this, we will optimise solar cell spray-coating processes to create larger cells, speed up and improve the quality and yield of cells. we believe the deposition of perovskite solar cells via spray-coating onto non-planar surfaces has the potential to be truly disruptive in terms of the way solar-power is generated and used in mobile transportation applications. Such an application cannot be realised using conventional flexible solar cells that are laminated onto a surface as such devices typically a much higher weight per unit area and also cannot be fixed onto surfaces that curve in more than one direction. Rather, the spray-on techniques that we target will allow devices to be directly integrated onto the surface of components that have a complex geometry.
Central to this research project are the substrates onto which we will spray-coat solar cells; namely carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. These materials are created by embedding a woven carbon fibre mesh in an epoxy resin, with the resultant material having very high tensile strength whilst being extremely light weight. We believe that by establishing a process technology by which perovskite solar cells can be sprayed onto CFRP surfaces, we will realise structural, engineering materials that are capable of generating sustainable energy. One of the key applications we target here is solar trickle-charging of electric vehicles. When developed, our proposed technology has the potential to have a significant impact on the success of the UK to transition to a low-carbon economy and ultimately reach net-zero.
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