Sputtering Halide Perovskites for Integration in Monolithic Tandem Solar Cells

Project Information

SPRINT

Grant agreement ID: 101113313

DOI

10.3030/101113313

Project closed

EC signature date 22 February 2023

Start date 1 June 2023

End date 30 November 2024

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 150 000,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITEIT TWENTE
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SPRINT (Sputtering Halide Perovskites for Integration in Monolithic Tandem Solar Cells)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells are emerging as a promising technology in solar energy owing to their high efficiencies and low-cost materials. However, scalability, especially of the perovskite top cell, is still challenging. Funded by the European Research Council, the SPRINT project plans to develop sputtering deposition techniques, which have not yet been explored for halide perovskites. Sputtering deposition is highly industrialised process, offering high deposition rates, conformal deposition and scalability. With this technique, SPRINT hopes to fast track physical vapor deposition for a new generation of solar cells and thereby strengthening the European equipment manufacturing and photovoltaic markets.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

WP1 was fully dedicated to the technical developments of the project. Below the description of the activities/steps performed:

Step 1: Sputtering system and target preparation.
The first stage of the project was dedicated to the acquisition and installation of the sputtering setup dedicated to halide materials. After the system was acquired, it also needed to be installed inside a glovebox, which caused delays in the installation. By month 9, the system started to be operational. Following this, the development and preparation of targets followed.
Development was needed due to the larger target sizes required for the new sputtering setup. Developments included:
1. Power to ball ratio during ball milling of the powders
2. Uniaxial press force to form a dense target
3. Target bonding to metal backing plate
Once these parameters were defined, the first depositions were tested.

Step 2: Sputtering of inorganic halide materials. PbI2 and CuI targets were prepared and tested with various sputtering deposition parameters (RF power, power ramping rate, working pressure, sputtering time). Challenges included the de-bonding of the target due to not efficient cooling or fast ramping of the sputtering power. Several optimization rounds were performed to find the optimum range of high enough deposition rate and integrity of the target. The targets and films deposited were characterized by X-ray diffractiomn, XPS and EDX.

Step 3: After the first films were optimized, the PbI2 based films were converted to perovskite via the hybrid method. The hybrid approach delivered comparable results with either the inorganic layer fabricated via sputtering deposition or via pulsed laser deposition in terms of material quality. By the end of the project, the optimization of the solar cells continue up to date and follow up project proposals with device partners are in preparation.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Results that takes SPRINT from groundbreaking research towards innovation:
1. Developed solid halide targets with the dimensions required for lab-scale sputtering deposition. The fabrication of the targets will be kept confidential and exploitation of these knowledge is under evaluation together with partner NovelT and based on feedback from the industrial partners of the project.
2. The developed targets have the potential for successful halide-based thin film deposition via sputtering, representing the first steps towards production of these films via sputtering deposition. Follow up project proposals with device partners are submitted and others in discussions.
3. All partners involved as end users of the technology have provide feedback on industrial needs and requirements, this includes:


• Identification of potential obstacles for end users to accept or implement the product (i.e. the halide sputtering targets)
• Regulatory issues regarding commercialization of targets containing toxic elements (REACH)
• Identification of the needs of the end users (e.g. quantities, target lifetimes/throughput)