The Perovskite-Info newsletter (November 16, 2021)

Researchers from University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University and Chinese Academy of Sciences have fabricated a mini perovskite solar module using a novel encapsulation technique based on the use of a self-healable, lead-adsorbing ionogel that prevents lead leakage and improves stability. The solar module has an area of 31.5cm² and has a reported efficiency of 22.9%.

Ionogel microstructure and lead adsorption mechanism. Image from article

The scientists explained that ionogel sealants were applied on the panel's front glass and between electrode and encapsulation glass, with the 100μm-thick inonogel being able to hold the shattered glass together even if the glass breaks. This is claimed to effectively suppress lead leakage from broken modules after hail test or compression by car wheels, and soaking in water for 45 days.

An international team of researchers recently tested a new way of passivating defects in perovskite solar cells. Using a tailored arrangement of atoms, the team managed to overcome challenges related to the formation of a two-dimensional perovskite layer on top of the active cell material, and reach 21.4% conversion efficiency for a 26cm² active area, which is said to be a record for a perovskite device of this size.

Passivation layers, deposited on top of the perovskite material, play an essential role in reducing material defects and unwanted reactions within the material, to improve both performance and stability. One strategy that has been found effective is the use of alkylammonium halides. In many cases these form an additional two-dimensional perovskite layer on top of the perovskite, which can improve device stability but also negatively affect performance.

In October 2021, The Perovskite-Info team met Cyprus University of Technology’s (CUT) Professor Stelios Choulis, who kindly agreed to show us around his workspace and labs and update us on his team’s ongoing work.

Choulis, Professor of Material Science and Engineering at the Cyprus University of Technology, is also the founder and head of the Molecular Electronics and Photonics (MEP) Research Unit . With work in UK, Germany and the Silicon Valley (USA) under his belt, Choulis is a highly skilled and experienced researcher in the fields of both photovoltaics and OLEDs. He also participated and led several large-scale research programs (ERC-Consolidator Grant European Horizon project, SME-EU FP7, RIF and RPF-Cyprus, BMBF-Germany, DOE-USA).

Researchers at the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research and Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands have recently used a solution-processed photodetector made of a metal halide perovskite to fabricate a thin and flexible scanner. This scanner can be used to scan both fingerprints and paper documents.

"Fabricating photodetectors with low dark currents and integrating them into high-resolution backplanes remains challenging," Albert J. J. M. van Breemen and his colleagues wrote in their paper. "Here, we show that solution-processed metal halide perovskite photodiodes on top of an amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide transistor backplane can be used to create a flexible image sensor that is ~100 μm thick and has a resolution of 508 pixels per inch."

The perovskite industry is seeing increased interest and R&D efforts, as the materials continue to show how promise for solar and display applications. The perovskite industry is set for an excellent year in 2022, as we expect the first commercial perovskite solar panels to enter the market. If you are looking to promote your company's products and services for the perovskite market, increase industry awareness of your technology, and generate industry leads - Perovskite-Info is the perfect choice!

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A project called NanoQI, funded by the European Union with Horizon 2020 funds, aims to develop an industry-ready, real-time and in-line capable method for characterizing and imaging nano-dimensions of (thin film) nanomaterials in the critical range of 1 to 300 nm on large sample surfaces of more than 500 × 500 mm². The project involves a consortium of eight companies and organizations from five European countries and was initiated on March 1, 2020. The project's mid-term was in September 2021.

HSI hardware integration and algorithms for automatic quality assessment using HSI, based on XRR/XRD- ground-truth data. (Image: Fraunhofer IWS)

NanoQI combines for the first time X-ray reflectometry (XRR) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) as well as broadband hyperspectral imaging (HSI) into a fast, real-time method for quality control in thin film processing that can be directly integrated into the coating equipment. This combination enables equipment operators to access application-relevant properties such as the thickness of individual layers in a coating system, the solid state structure or even derived functional properties – such as water vapor permeability – while the coating is still in progress.

Scientists from Japan's Kishu Giken Kogyo and University of Hyogo, Switzerland's Solaronix and Germany's Fraunhofer ISE have examined the long-term stability of perovskite solar cells using layers of mesoporous carbon, building on previous work that showed the strong potential of this approach.

Schematics of reversible light-induced performance increase for m-CPSM. Image from study

This recent work demonstrated a light-soaking effect, which allowed them to fabricate cells that retained 92% of their initial performance after 3,000 hours in damp heat conditions – which the researchers say is equivalent to 20 years in the field.