Stanford Researchers Reveal a Fast, Low-Cost Way of Manufacturing Perovskite Solar Cells
Stanford University researchers harness rapid spray plasma processing to produce and create perovskite solar modules quickly while generating cost and environmental benefits.
Recently, researchers from Stanford University have devised a way to manufacture a particular type of thin-film solar cell so that it saves on costs and benefits the environment.
A perovskite solar module. Image used courtesy of Stanford University
Perovskite Solar Cells
Solar cell technology is able to process sunlight and turn it into electricity. On a structural basis, solar cell technology of today is largely made of silicon. The sustainability of producing silicon-based solar cells is far from optimum, with the factories producing them consuming a large amount of energy and emitting a substantial amount of CO2.
In an effort to combat these issues, scientists have turned toward the use of perovskite solar cells. These cells are a more green alternative to silicon-based cells that offer manufacturers a way of reducing cost, energy consumption, and they produce virtually no CO2 emissions. Unlike the 3,000ºF (1,650ºC) furnaces needed to refine industrial silicon, perovskite solar cells are able to be grown in open-air laboratories at temperatures near the boiling point of water.
This is a cost-effective scenario that manufacturers can appreciate. Furthermore, the thin-film perovskite cells can be made from low-cost, abundant chemicals including lead, carbon, and iodine.
Despite the benefits of perovskite cells, research has shown them to be unstable. Trying to increase the size of the cells can lead to deformities that decrease the cell efficiency. When exposed to heat and moisture, perovskite cells can degrade in time, while rigid silicon cells can last up to 20 to 30 years.
Recent research published by Stanford investigators in the journal Joule, defines a method of rapidly producing stable perovskite solar cells and assembling them to create solar modules. These modules have the potential to be used for buildings, power devices, and the electricity grid.
For perovskite manufacturing, senior researcher of the research, Reinhold Dauskardt, believes that this “resolves some of the most formidable barriers to module-scale manufacturing that the community has been dealing with for years.” Dauskardt is the Ruth G. and William K. Bowes Professor in the Stanford School of Engineering.
Single-Step Solar Cell Generation
With a patented technology of their own creation known as rapid spray plasma processing, the Dauskardt team were able to make films of photovoltaic perovskite quickly. A robotic device with two nozzles is used. One nozzle sprays a liquid solution of perovskite chemical precursors over a pane of glass.
The second nozzle simultaneously releases a burst of plasma. Using this method, the Stanford team was able to make 40 feet (12 meters) of perovskite film per minute. This is a record-breaking production rate that appears to be four times faster than silicon cell manufacturing. Additionally, the perovskite cells exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 18%. The Stanford team estimated the cost per square foot of their perovskite at 25 cents compared to $2.50 or so per square foot required to produce silicon modules.
The Stanford team used rapid spray plasma processing to create their perovskite modules. Image used courtesy of Stanford University
To make perovskite modules ready for commercial markets, the Stanford team made them so that they can operate at 15.5 percent efficiency even after being left on the shelf for five months. Looking to the future, the team are working to make their modules more resilient and durable so that it can be used for potential utility-scale production.
