Regular Article

A study of quenching approaches to optimize ultrasonic spray coated perovskite layers scalable for PV

¹ Imec − Partner in Solliance, Kapeldreef 75, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
² Hasselt University, Institute for Materials Research, Wetenschapspark 1, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
³ EnergyVille, Thor Park 8320, 3600 Genk, Belgium

^* e-mail: joao.silvano@uhasselt.be

Received: 30 June 2021
Received in final form: 14 March 2022
Accepted: 18 March 2022
Published online: 25 May 2022

Abstract

Perovskite materials have gathered increased interest over the last decade. Their rapidly rising efficiency, coupled with the compatibility with solution processing and thin film technology has put perovskite solar cells (PSC) on the spotlight of photovoltaic research. On top of that, band gap tunability via composition changes makes them a perfect candidate for tandem applications, allowing for further harvest of the solar irradiation spectrum and improved power conversion efficiency (PCE). In order to convert all these advantages into large scale production and have increased dissemination in the energy generation market, perovskite fabrication must be adapted and optimized with the use of high throughput, continuous processes, such as ultrasonic spray coating (USSC). In this paper we investigate the ultrasonically spray coated perovskite layers for photovoltaic applications, with particular focus on the quenching-assisted crystallization step. Different quenching techniques are introduced to the process and compared in terms of final layer morphology and cell performance. Finally, gas quenching is used with the large-scale-compatible deposition and allows the production of perovskite solar cells with PCE >15%.