Project Name: In-situ Photophysical Monitors and Corrective Algorithms for Photovoltaic Film Deposition and Rapid Thermal Processing Ion Scalable Roll-to Roll Manufacturing
Funding Opportunity: Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2018 Funding Program (SETO FY2018)
SETO Research Area: Photovoltaics
Location: Seattle, WA
SETO Award Amount: $200,000
Awardee Cost Share: $50,000
Principal Investigator: Devin MacKenzie
-- Award and cost share amounts are subject to change pending negotiations --
This project team will improve the roll-to-roll (R2R) processing approach used to make perovskite solar cells by using a characterization tool at the R2R station that provides real-time corrective feedback. R2R is a high-throughput manufacturing method that enables continuous material deposition, which can accelerate production of photovoltaic (PV) modules.
APPROACH
The team will place sensing probes at various places along the R2R station to examine the films at different stages during material deposition. They will vary factors such as deposition rate, gas flow, humidity, and oven temperature and examine their effects on the films. The team will use Raman spectroscopy to measure photoluminescence and laser scanning microscopy to measure phase stability. They will also look at film integrity and morphology. Measurements will be recorded for cadmium telluride, polycrystalline copper indium gallium selenide, and polycrystalline films with results compared against the findings for the perovskite films. The team will also construct and test PV modules, and publish the results so they are publicly available.
INNOVATION
Establishing a link between processing conditions and their impacts on the properties of perovskite films in real time is essential to understanding and identifying failure modes during PV film processing. The results of this work can be used to improve the quality of R2R manufactured films and accelerate scalable PV module production. This project supports developments in PV processing and manufacturing efforts and enables advancements in these focus areas for enhanced quality, improved performance and increased yields of thin-film perovskite solar cells.