Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SMARTLINE-PV (Fast plasma-assisted perovskite crystallization for high efficiency lead-free perovskite thin film photovoltaics)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
The overall objective of SMARTLINE-PV is to address the need to increase the share of electricity generated by photovoltaics (PV) in order to meet global climate targets and ensure a sustainable energy future. The technological advancements within SMARTLINE-PV aim to enable the commercialization of emerging perovskite solar cells at large scale and to overcome the current limitations posed by the lead content in the most efficient perovskite solar cells. This challenge is becoming increasingly critical as the perovskite solar cell technology approaches market readiness and for many applications the drawbacks of lead usage become more apparent.
Ensuring versatility in the availability of sustainable PV technologies is vital, as the transition to renewable energy sources, in particular photovoltaics, is crucial to achieving a global, sustainable energy supply. The research on lead-free perovskite solar cells within SMARTLINE-PV will advance Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) by supporting the development of an efficient, non-toxic solar technology suitable for widespread and sustainable implementation. By minimizing the environmental and health risks associated with lead, SMARTLINE-PV also contributes to Climate Action (SDG 13) and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), while supporting cleaner air, healthier ecosystems, and more sustainable cities (SDGs 11, 9, and 13).
Ensuring versatility in the availability of sustainable PV technologies is vital, as the transition to renewable energy sources, in particular photovoltaics, is crucial to achieving a global, sustainable energy supply. The research on lead-free perovskite solar cells within SMARTLINE-PV will advance Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) by supporting the development of an efficient, non-toxic solar technology suitable for widespread and sustainable implementation. By minimizing the environmental and health risks associated with lead, SMARTLINE-PV also contributes to Climate Action (SDG 13) and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), while supporting cleaner air, healthier ecosystems, and more sustainable cities (SDGs 11, 9, and 13).
Significant progress has been made in optimizing the processability of tin perovskite absorber layers and enhancing their performance in solar cells. The consortium strategically focused on developing DMSO-free solvent systems, recognizing their potential advantages in efficiency, stability, and reproducibility. While the PCE of these systems currently stands at ~10%, which is a bit lower compared to DMSO-based approaches, their superior reproducibility provides a strong foundation for continued optimization, supporting the path toward the target PCEs above 20% and good operational stability.
Moreover, high-quality tin perovskite thin films have been successfully fabricated through plasma-assisted crystallization, demonstrating reproducible results and tunable grain sizes above 400 nm. Optimization efforts have laid the groundwork for broader implementation, with plasma systems being installed at three project partners to expand this work in the next reporting period. Parallel efforts on device architecture optimization have led to the synthesis of advanced charge transport layers. Notably, we found a novel electron transport layer that exhibited excellent properties, as characterized by time-resolved surface photovoltage measurements, and is currently being integrated into optimized device configurations for further performance evaluation.
Further advancements were achieved in upscaling and module integration. The combination of spray coating and plasma-assisted crystallization showed high potential for roll-to-roll processing, while MorphoColor foils with minimal optical losses (<5%) have been fabricated in several color variations and are currently implemented into tin-based perovskite solar cells. Laser scribing processes in inert atmosphere have been developed and these processes will be capable of achieving geometric fill factors above 95% in modules. Moreover, preliminary steps have been taken for the integration of colored, lightweight, and flexible PV foils into BIPV and IoT applications. Additionally, ecodesign principles have been embedded into process development to mitigate raw material risks and to allow enhanced recyclability.
Moreover, high-quality tin perovskite thin films have been successfully fabricated through plasma-assisted crystallization, demonstrating reproducible results and tunable grain sizes above 400 nm. Optimization efforts have laid the groundwork for broader implementation, with plasma systems being installed at three project partners to expand this work in the next reporting period. Parallel efforts on device architecture optimization have led to the synthesis of advanced charge transport layers. Notably, we found a novel electron transport layer that exhibited excellent properties, as characterized by time-resolved surface photovoltage measurements, and is currently being integrated into optimized device configurations for further performance evaluation.
Further advancements were achieved in upscaling and module integration. The combination of spray coating and plasma-assisted crystallization showed high potential for roll-to-roll processing, while MorphoColor foils with minimal optical losses (<5%) have been fabricated in several color variations and are currently implemented into tin-based perovskite solar cells. Laser scribing processes in inert atmosphere have been developed and these processes will be capable of achieving geometric fill factors above 95% in modules. Moreover, preliminary steps have been taken for the integration of colored, lightweight, and flexible PV foils into BIPV and IoT applications. Additionally, ecodesign principles have been embedded into process development to mitigate raw material risks and to allow enhanced recyclability.
The project has achieved results beyond the current state of the art in several areas. The development of DMSO-free solvent systems for tin perovskite solar cells represents a major progress, offering significantly improved reproducibility and a strong foundation for further optimization. In parallel, the plasma-assisted crystallization process has enabled the fabrication of high-quality, reproducible tin perovskite thin films with controlled grain sizes in a solvent-free crystallization process.
Equally interesting are the advances in laser structuring for tin-based perovskite solar cell module fabrication, where precise scribing processes in inert atmosphere have been developed for the respective films, enabling efficient interconnection and geometric fill factors above 95%. Furthermore, the successful integration of flexible MorphoColor foils into tin-based perovskite solar cells combines aesthetic versatility with minimal optical losses (<5%), marking a key step toward efficient, design-adaptable photovoltaic solutions for building-integrated and portable applications
Equally interesting are the advances in laser structuring for tin-based perovskite solar cell module fabrication, where precise scribing processes in inert atmosphere have been developed for the respective films, enabling efficient interconnection and geometric fill factors above 95%. Furthermore, the successful integration of flexible MorphoColor foils into tin-based perovskite solar cells combines aesthetic versatility with minimal optical losses (<5%), marking a key step toward efficient, design-adaptable photovoltaic solutions for building-integrated and portable applications