Nonplanar Spray-Coated Perovskite Solar Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy Engineering
• Thin Film Deposition

Background:

• Spray coating is a versatile technique for thin film deposition on various surfaces.
• Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer high power conversion efficiencies but are typically fabricated on planar substrates.
• Coating nonplanar surfaces with PSCs presents challenges like solution dewetting and run-off.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the use of ultrasonic spray coating for fabricating PSCs on rigid, nonplanar surfaces.
• To overcome challenges associated with coating inclined and curved substrates.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of producing functional PSCs on non-horizontal surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Utilized ultrasonic spray coating to deposit perovskite thin films.
• Employed glass substrates at various inclination angles (up to 45°).
• Fabricated PSCs on a convex glass substrate to test performance on curved surfaces.

Main Results:

• Achieved comparable power conversion efficiencies (up to 18.3%) for PSCs on inclined substrates versus horizontal ones.
• Successfully fabricated PSCs on a convex glass substrate with a maximum power conversion efficiency of 12.5%.
• Demonstrated the first rigid, curved perovskite solar cell fabrication.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasonic spray coating is effective for producing PSCs on nonplanar surfaces without dewetting issues.
• Inclined and curved perovskite solar cells can achieve significant power conversion efficiencies.
• This technology opens avenues for integrating perovskite photovoltaics into aerospace and automotive applications.