Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated that a low-temperature solution printing technique allows fabrication of high-efficiency perovskite-based solar cells with large crystals for minimizing grain boundaries. The meniscus-assisted solution printing (MASP) technique reportedly boosts power conversion efficiencies to nearly 20% by controlling crystal size and orientation.

The MASP process uses parallel plates (approximately 300 microns apart) to create a meniscus of ink containing the metal halide perovskite precursors. The bottom plate moves continuously, allowing solvent to evaporate at the meniscus edge to form crystalline perovskite. As the crystals form, fresh ink is drawn into the meniscus using the same physical process that forms a coffee ring on an absorbent surface such as paper. It was stated that the process could be scaled up to rapidly generate large areas of dense crystalline film on a variety of substrates, including flexible polymers.

Chinese perovskite materials startup Hangzhou Microquanta Semiconductor has reported that a 16-cm2 perovskite mini-module, certified by testing firm Newport in Montana, US has achieved a 16% conversion efficiency.

According to Microquanta, the perovskite mini-module 16% efficiency was achieved only three months after setting a prior record of 15.2%. Progress was made, primarily due to the focus on improving the deposition uniformity for large area thin films.