a Perovskite solar cells have attracted enormous interest since their discovery only a few years ago because they are able to combine the benefits of high efficiency and remarkable ease of processing over large areas. Whereas most of research has been carried out on glass, perovskite deposition and synthesis is carried out at low temperatures (o150 1C) to convert precursors into its final semiconducting form. Thus, developing the technology on flexible substrates can be considered a suitable and exciting arena both from the manufacturing view point (e.g. web processing, low embodied energy manufacturing) and that of the applications (e.g. flexible, lightweight, portable, easy to integrate over both small, large and curved surfaces). Research has been accelerating on flexible PSCs and has achieved notable milestones including PCEs of 15.6% on laboratory cells, the first modules being manufactured, ultralight cells with record power per gram ratios, and even cells made on fibres.Reviewing the literature, it becomes apparent that more work can be carried out in closing the efficiency gap with glass based counterparts especially at the large-area module level and, in particular, investigating and improving the lifetime of these devices which are built on inherently permeable plastic films. Here we review and provide a perspective on the issues pertaining progress in materials, processes, devices, industrialization and costs of flexible perovskite solar cells. Broader contextFor a number of years, solar cells had been considered as an inferior energy technology due to high cost -even in the renewable energy paradigm; however, more recently progress in materials processing and engineering of highly efficient and stable solar panels have helped them emerge as a frontline renewable energy technology with energy payback time that has been lowered from over a decade to a couple of years (at least in some parts of the world) during the last ten years. Commercial solar panels are typically manufactured on rigid platforms. Fabricating them on flexible substrates, such as transparent plastics and metallic foils, would enable effective harvesting of energy in a number of diverse areas from indoor electronics to automobiles and from building integrated photovoltaics to portable applications. Furthermore, it would open up web-based roll-to-roll fabrication conducive to massive throughputs. Solution processable perovskite solar cells offer promising opportunities towards this end. Being these cells the most efficient among the solution processable ones, with efficiency in their laboratory scale devices on par with the commercially available silicon and thin film counterparts, significant recent efforts devoted to their manufacturing on flexible substrates have seen efficiencies rise as high as 15.6% together with moderate stability. We approach the developments in this area by critically analyzing the factors affecting the final performance indicators such as efficiency, stability, and functionality and relate these to its proces...
applicable to plastic substrates is urgent. [ 22 ] Recently, we proposed a UV irradiation process on a customized TiO 2 nanoparticle paste for the fabrication of effi cient fl exible dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs). [ 23 ] In this work, we demonstrate how UV irradiation can be successfully employed for developing the very thin TiO 2 mesoporous scaffold in this new type of plastic perovskite solar devices. The electron collecting compact layer is also essential for delivering performing devices as it lowers the carrier recombination probability at the interface between the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and perovskite layers. The only material utilized on plastic substrates up to now has been ZnO deposited by electrodeposition and spin coating of nanoparticles dispersion. [ 12,16 ] Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been used for the fabrication of ultrathin, uniform, and conformal layers in several PV technologies. [ 24 ] Thermal ALD was adopted to produce a compact TiO 2 layer on glass perovskite cells, yielding higher device PCE compared to spray pyrolysis or the spin coating of a sol-gel solution. [ 25,26 ] Recently, we explored the benefi t of using plasma assisted ALD applied to fl exible DSCs. [ 27 ] Here we adopt plasma ALD of cyclopentadienyl alkylamido titanium Ti(CpMe)(NMe 2 ) 3 precursor to obtain an effective compact TiO 2 blocking layer on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated plastic substrates. The plasma approach offers several advantages compared to conventional thermal processes, in particular it enables the deposition of higher quality fi lms, in terms of lower pinhole density, in the range of temperatures compatible with conductive plastic substrates. [ 28 ] This feature plays a key role to ensure high effi ciency in the solid state devices. By incorporation of both the ALD-grown compact layer and the UV-irradiated scaffold in the fabrication process, and using a CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3x Cl x perovskite layer, a doped 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis-(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)9,9′spirobifl uorene (Spiro-O-MeTAD) as hole transport material (HTM), and a gold top contact, we obtain a PCE of 8.4% for a fl exible plastic cell. This also represents the fi rst example of low temperature and solution processed TiO 2 scaffold for perovskite solar cell either on glass or plastic. Furthermore, we developed a screen printable mesoporous formulation for the scaffold and patterning procedures compatible with the delicate plastic/ITO substrates (based on masking, laser defi nition and self-patterning) for the other layers enabling us to manufacture the fi rst large-area (8 cm 2 ) integrated fl exible perovskite photovoltaic module composed of 4 series-connected cells (PCE of 3.1% over the module and 4.3% over the its best cell).Recently, research on hybrid organometal halide perovskites for photovoltaic applications has delivered impressive growth in power conversion effi ciencies (PCEs) with a current certifi ed record of 17.9% and growing. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Key advantages of perovskites devices, together with high PCEs, are re...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.