South Korea-based Gosan Tech Co., Ltd., a ten-year old industrial inkjet technology company supplying patterning and coating equipment to the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display industry, has launched a line of inkjet printers for manufacturers of perovskite solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules.
“Since 2019, we have also focused on developing inkjet processes and equipment specifically to produce perovskite solar cells. As a result, we have delivered inkjet equipment to several perovskite PV manufacturers in Korea,” Kwangsoo Kim, Gosan Tech’s CEO, told pv magazine.
The company's proprietary inkjet coating and patterning tool, known as the Merak 360-PSC, can be used to fabricate perovskite thin films, hole transport layers (HTL), and electron transport layers (ETL) on rigid glass or flexible PET films. The newest model will cover large-area perovskite panels measuring 1,100 x 1,300 mm.
“This platform represents a major step beyond pilot-scale R&D and highlights our readiness for industrial-scale module production,” said Kim.
Supporting multi-layer processing within a single tool, the equipment provides layer-by-layer deposition and the ability to precisely modulate and control solar cell design, performance, and material utilization, according to Gosan Tech.
Its initial focus on inkjet systems for OLED displays drove the development of an ink supply system, pressure control technology, and simulation technology with reportedly “excellent ink droplet uniformity” and a high degree of precision.
While advancing the equipment side of the business, the company has also developed the capacity to manufacture its own perovskite solar modules. “Currently, we have established a pilot-scale R&D line for the production of 370 mm x 470 mm modules, and we expect to produce our first large-sized modules by Q4 this year,” said Kim.
As for the module performance, Kim said that the verified data on power conversion efficiency is expected by the end of the year. In the meantime, the focus is on stability and durability.
To enable the next phase of growth, Gosan Tech recently received an investment from a corporate venture fund backed by Japan-based technology company Seiko Epson Corporation and Epson X Investment Corporation via a joint fund known as EP-GB L.P.
According to a statement made at the time of the investment announcement, Epson will also supply Gosan Tech with “reliable and precise printheads suitable for industrial applications,” as well as providing support for business growth via its sales and service site in Korea, Epson Korea Co. Ltd.
“Through our collaboration with Epson, we are able to use inkjet printheads optimized for perovskite manufacturing, which allows us to target both cost-effectiveness and high productivity,” said Kim.
There are plans to strengthen the Gosan Tech product portfolio beyond displays and perovskite solar PV to include biomedical applications, such as drug deposition, tissue engineering, and diagnostics. Epson also stated that it is developing new printhead markets by forming partnerships to enhance sales and provision of printhead solutions that include peripheral technology.
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