UK-based startup Aerosolar has developed a post-deposition process for perovskite solar cells that reportedly improves device efficiency and stability.
The company describes the process as “simple and effective” across a wide range of perovskite compositions, device structures and areas.
“We developed the aerosol-assisted solvent treatment in the lab using a reactor with 2.5 cm x 7.5 cm. We are scaling it to 23 cm x 23 cm, to accommodate up to the M12 wafer size,” Aerosolar, founder, Joe Briscoe, told pv magazine.“The business model is to begin with consulting and design of bespoke equipment, potentially progressing to manufacturing standardized equipment.”
The company plans to apply its process in both batch-based and roll-to-roll processing, working with perovskite solar cell manufacturers who want to implement the process step. It recently received a tech transfer grant from Innovate UK, the UK's national innovation agency.
The technology was originally tested with a dimethylformamide (DMF) solution alone or with added methylammonium chloride (MACI), which enhances the grain growth of perovskite cells, reducing local defects and improving overall uniformity.
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Compared to direct thermal annealing, the novel technique reportedly enables processing at lower temperatures. Aerosolar said it supports improved crystallinity and grain size, accompanied by a narrowing in grain size distribution. Also notable is that throughout the aerosol treatment, the films remain solid, and there is no dissolution of the perovskite film, with the process taking less than five minutes.
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Aerosol is targeting manufacturers of perovskite solar cells with its new solvent process. It was described in the study “Aerosol Assisted Solvent Treatment: A Universal Method for Performance and Stability Enhancements in Perovskite Solar Cells,” in Advanced Energy Materials.
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