Recent Developments in Upscalable Printing Techniques for Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract

Just over a decade, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been emerged as a next‐generation photovoltaic technology due to their skyrocketing power conversion efficiency (PCE), low cost, and easy manufacturing techniques compared to Si solar cells. Several methods and procedures have been developed to fabricate high‐quality perovskite films to improve the scalability and commercialize PSCs. Recently, several printing technologies such as blade‐coating, slot‐die coating, spray coating, flexographic printing, gravure printing, screen printing, and inkjet printing have been found to be very effective in controlling film formation and improving the PCE of over 21%. This review summarizes the intensive research efforts given for these printing techniques to scale up the perovskite films as well as the hole transport layer (HTL), the electron transport layer (ETL), and electrodes for PSCs. In the end, this review presents a description of the future research scope to overcome the challenges being faced in the printing techniques for the commercialization of PSCs.

Enhanced efficiency and stability of scalable spray-coated perovskite solar cells with ionic liquid additives

“…Hence, research efforts are now geared towards the investigation of scalable coating methods. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Thus, a recently developed precision spraycoating method has been employed for the high-speed coating of large-area substrates for both traditional and inverted planar perovskite solar cells with high solution utilization and low waste. [8][9][10] Process optimization, which is mainly aimed at accelerating the evaporation of the precursor solvent, [11][12][13][14][15][16] along with rational precursor formulation (i.e., perovskite composition, solvents, and additives), [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] have enabled the deposition of high-quality perovskite layers with higher power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in the photovoltaic devices.…”

Controlling Phase Transition toward Future Low-Cost and Eco-friendly Printing of Perovskite Solar Cells

“…6 Slot-die coating can offer a continuous ink supply for panel-size production. 7,8 However, the module efficiencies of these printing methods are much lower than that of spin-coated devices. 9 In addition to academic researchers, many industrial players have shown great interest in PSC technology.…”

“…Because the ink has a certain viscosity and the squeegee is always in linear contact with the screen-printing plate and substrate during the printing process, printing accuracy is guaranteed. 8 The final quality of the film can be controlled by the dosage of the ink and design pattern of the printing plate. 34 Solution compatibility renders perovskites more cost efficient than traditional semiconducting materials.…”

“…Blade coating is one of the most widely used and cost-efficient printing techniques developed to date and has a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 22% . Slot-die coating can offer a continuous ink supply for panel-size production. , However, the module efficiencies of these printing methods are much lower than that of spin-coated devices …”

“…The ink is squeezed onto the substrate through the printing plate as the squeegee moves. Because the ink has a certain viscosity and the squeegee is always in linear contact with the screen-printing plate and substrate during the printing process, printing accuracy is guaranteed . The final quality of the film can be controlled by the dosage of the ink and design pattern of the printing plate …”