Affordable Printed Perovskite Solar Cells using first fully Roll-to-Roll System

A new printing system for perovskite solar cells could simplify the process of increasing the technology's production scale. ‘It marks a pivotal milestone in the field, showcasing the potential for the cost-effective production of high-performance solar cells,’ says lead author Doojin Vak from CSIRO Manufacturing in Victoria, Australia. ‘This breakthrough suggests the possibility of producing large-scale perovskite solar modules that could match … even surpass the performance of commercially available silicon [alternatives],’ he adds.

According to Vak, roll-to-roll production had already been recognized as a favorable method for producing perovskite solar cells. However, challenges like applying the perovskite solutions on moving substrates and constraints related to time and temperature have hindered the adoption of this technology in industrial settings. ‘Our team demonstrated the roll-to-roll production of series-connected [solar] modules for the first time and achieved a significant increase in the record efficiency of solution-processed solar cells,’ he adds.

The roll-to-roll systems are widespread in manufacturing and printing, and Vak says that it’s a ‘proven method for mass-producing low-cost [printed] products’. It works like ‘a larger version of a cassette tape with multiple printing heads in the middle’.

‘Roll-to-roll printing involves the continuous deposition of materials on a flexible substrate as it moves through a series of rollers,’ explains Annalisa Bruno an expert in perovskite solar cells at the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. ‘In this case, the perovskite layers and other components are printed onto the substrate sequentially,’ she explains.