Revolutionary CFS Technique for Rapid Perovskite Solar Cells

• Revolutionizing solar cell fabrication with continuous flash sublimation - achieving high efficiency in just minutes. A game-changer in renewable energy technology.

Researchers from NREL, BlueDot Photonics, University of Washington, Colorado School of Mines, and Rochester Institute of Technology have developed a novel vapor deposition technique called continuous flash sublimation (CFS) for rapid fabrication of all-inorganic perovskite solar cells. This new technique allows for the continuous deposition of fully absorbing perovskite material in under 5 minutes, addressing issues with slow deposition speeds and non-continuous batch processing. The team achieved power conversion efficiencies of up to 14.9% with their CFS-derived films, outperforming previous vapor processed inorganic perovskite solar cells.

The researchers utilized a mechano-chemically synthesized powder as the source material, which was flashed at high temperatures to overcome differences in deposition characteristics of individual precursor materials. The powder was then vaporized and condensed on a substrate to create high-quality cesium lead halide thin films for solar cell devices. The team also implemented an annealing step to improve thin-film quality and stabilize the correct photoactive perovskite phase. This work represents a critical step towards fast and continuous processing of perovskite materials, with potential applications for other material classes and different types of perovskite materials in the future.

What is the novel vapor deposition technique developed for rapid perovskite solar cell fabrication?

• The novel vapor deposition technique developed for rapid perovskite solar cell fabrication is called continuous flash sublimation (CFS).
• CFS allows for the continuous deposition of fully absorbing perovskite material in under 5 minutes, addressing issues with slow deposition speeds and non-continuous batch processing.
• The researchers utilized a mechano-chemically synthesized powder as the source material, which was flashed at high temperatures to overcome differences in deposition characteristics of individual precursor materials.
• The powder was then vaporized and condensed on a substrate to create high-quality cesium lead halide thin films for solar cell devices.
• The team achieved power conversion efficiencies of up to 14.9% with their CFS-derived films, outperforming previous vapor processed inorganic perovskite solar cells.
• An annealing step was implemented to improve thin-film quality and stabilize the correct photoactive perovskite phase.
• This work represents a critical step towards fast and continuous processing of perovskite materials, with potential applications for other material classes and different types of perovskite materials in the future.