Researchers from the University of Limoges (France), SODERN, KELENN Technology, and the University of Monastir (Tunisia) have set out to tackle the challenges hindering the large-scale industrial production of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The developed a novel digital deposition technique, Digital Materials Deposition (DMD), to prepare compact SnO2 films, serving as electron transport layers (ETL) in PSCs.
DMD printing offers a rapid, scalable solution that forms high-quality films without material waste, a key factor for commercializing PSCs. By optimizing ink formulation and printing parameters, homogeneous, high-quality SnO2 layers were successfully printed and used as selective contacts in triple-cation perovskite solar cells fabricated in ambient conditions.
The scientists developed an SnO2 precursor solution using a mixture of water (EDI), acetonitrile (ACN), and isopropanol (IPA) with a ratio (60:20:20) respectively. This formulation reportedly enhanced the quality of the compact layer without requiring any surface treatment of the substrate.
The efficiency of the SnO2-printed devices was measured and compared to reference SnO2 spin-coated devices, with the printed devices consistently achieving efficiencies over 18% under one sun, along with notable stability in air, outperforming reference devices. The best photovoltaic performance was achieved with printed SnO2 process-based PSCs: Jsc = 24.90 mA/cm2, Voc = 1.02V, FF = 0.71, and PCE = 18.54%, better than the photovoltaic performances of devices on spin-coated SnO2 (Jsc = 24.99; Voc = 0.98V; FF = 0.70, PCE = 17.14).
This approach demonstrates the potential of DMD printing for scaling up thin-film photovoltaic technologies like perovskite solar cells.
