UNITOV-CHOSE S2S SJ PSK and mechanically stacked tandem line

Fabrication and characterization facility for large area single junction perovskite cell/module and mechanically stacked two-terminal tandem cells

• automated cell/module manufacture in Glove Box and air up to large format
• Characterization and accelerated life time (ALT) tests
• Material formulation and synthesis of transporting layers via CHOSE@UNITO 

CHOSE is composed of the main infrastructures located on the campus of the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy) and an associated infrastructure at the University of Turin (Italy). CHOSE@ROME focusses on the technological fabrication processes and device characterisation while CHOSE@TURIN focusses on material development from a chemistry point of view. This unique combination permits CHOSE to adapt fabrication and material rapidly to the user requests.

CHOSE is an infrastructure for the design, fabrication and characterization of solution process perovskite single junction cells, mechanically stacked tandem perovskite/silicon cells,  modules and panels by using automated sheet-to-sheet techniques for both glass and other substrates. CHOSE fabricated 0.5 sqm panels based on perovskite/Graphene technology and tested these panels for more that one year in outdoor conditions. CHOSE is developing the Graphene-Perovskite/Silicon tandem process by combining physical deposition and solution process deposition in an automated batch process.  CHOSE participates in the principal projects of Perovskite module development within EU and with private companies. In the VIPERLAB infrastructure CHOSE offers the use of module and tandem line with well define fabrication protocols or user defined protocols as well as the access to the single equipments.

Unique/rare expertise:

• 2D material for interface and work function Engineering for Perovskite cells and modules
• Record efficiency for low-light perovskite cells (energy harvesting)
• Strong knowledge on Laser patterning for Perovskite modules (active area /aperture area >95%)
• Strong know-how on perovskite module and panel fabrication
• Strong know-how on printing technologies and printed photovoltaics
• Full system for Perovskite module fabrication
• Air jet assisted blade coater for perovskite modules
• Spray coating of solar cells
• Advanced technologies for encapsulation of Perovskite cells (at CHOSE@TURIN)
• Advanced Hole and Electron Transporting layers for Perovskite (at CHOSE@TURIN)
• Specific material formulation (at CHOSE@TURIN)
• Owner of the TIBERCAD software for Multiphysics/Multiscale optoelectronic device design

The infrastructure comprises (main equipment’s)

• Automated AMAT screen printer (up to 20x20 cm2 area)
• Automated AUREL large area spray coater and ink-jet printing (up to 20x30 cm2 area)
• Automated CICCI Research blade and slot-dye coater for Perovskite solar modules (up to 20x30cm2)
• Automated RISE TECH multihead slot-die/dynamic meniscus up to 20x30 cm2
• Automated CO2 and 2 Nd-YVO4 pulsed laser for patterning (up to 40x40 cm2 for CO2 and 30x30cm2 for Nd-YVO4, 1064nm, 532nm, 355nm; ns and ps pulses)
• Large Area sputtering KENOSYSTEC up to 20x30 cm2
• Glove boxes with integrated metal and organic thermal evaporators and large area spin coating
• (from Jan 2022) Thermal evaporation system for halide perovskite materials
• Meteorological-Solar station for outdoor characterization of modules
• Several chemical hoods for material development and formulation
• Several chemical hoods for synthesis of organic HTM and formulation of sealant and encapsulant
• Single mode MW synthesizers for organics
• Automated purification tools for organic molecules and polymers
• Atmospheric Plasma treatment
• Photopolymerization lamps
• Characterization tools (Confocal microscope, Profilometer, Micro Raman, Time Resolved Spectroscopy, LBIC, spatial and spectrally resolved photoconductance / EQE, AFM, TGA, DSC, HPLC/SEC, Contact Angle, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM-EDS), Electronic Microscopy (FIB-FESEM/EBSD/TOF-SIMS Tescan S9000G), TEM, X-Ray diffractometers, UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer with integrating sphere, Electrochemical characterization for materials, liquid and SSNMR, Ellipsometer (WoollamM2000), CW and pulse EPR Electrochemical Impedence spectroscopy, Transient analyses Arkeo system)
• Several Sun Simulators
• 2 Light Soaking systems
• Multiscale simulator TiberCAD. Additional software available COMSOL, CST, MATLAB and other simulation software for optoelectronic devices

Panel laminator (up to 1x2 sqm)

• Design and multiscale physical simulations of perovskite solar cells and modules
• Specific material development for charge transport and encapsulation layers
• 2D materials for efficiency and stability enhancement of perovskite cells and modules
• Fabrication of small and large area (up to 20x30 cm2) Perovskite solar cell/modules
• Fabrication of perovskite solar panels (up to 1 sqm)
• Indoor characterization of cells and modules
• Outdoor characterization of modules and panels
• Transient analyses of Perovskite solar cells

Main results:

CHOSE realized the first Perovskite module, introduced the mechanically stacked perovskite/silicon tandem with efficiency exceeding 26%, realized the first European perovskite panel with an area of 0.5 sqm and was involved in the design and development of the first automated pilot line for DSC.

Fabrication of Perovskite module with 50 cm² active area and efficiency of 17%. Fabrication of 130 cm² active area Perovskite/Graphene module with efficiency 14.6%. Full perovskite deposition out of the glove box with single and multi-cations with one or two step process.

CHOSE is part of many EU consortium for the development of Perovskites modules and cells (H2020-ESPRESSO, H2020-IMPRESSIVE, H2020-APOLO, H2020-MAESTRO) more over CHOSE is part of the GRAPHENE FLAGSHIP and responsible for the development of Perovskite/Graphene Photovoltaic technology. CHOSE is involved in several industrial project in the field of new technologies for photovoltaics.

Usually the number of international user per year is around 15-20 while the other users comes from Italy

• Details on access: short comment on available services, expected output
• The access comprises: i) a preparatory work performed by email and teleconferences, ii) a on-site training on security and equipment and iii) a technical and scientific support for all the duration of the access. A report on the results achieved by using the infrastructure will be requested to the user within 2 months from the access.
• Number of days spent typically at the infrastructure for an experiment: from 1 to 2 weeks depending on the experiment.
• Unit of access (how many user visits are expected): 10-15 users a year
• Remarks on integration of users into the scheduling of the RI:
• The date of the visit will be agreed between CHOSE and the user. This will permit to better integrate the user activities within the annual planning of the RI. At the same time some week will be dedicated to special activities and call for user will be published.

Access costs via: unit costs (a), actual costs (b), or a combination (c): (b) actual cost

CHOSE comprises of well experienced researchers and technician that will support the development of user applications foreseen in the present proposal. CHOSE will offer design and simulation capabilities combined with fabrication activities. This will reduce development time and improve the understanding of the device.

From logistic point of view, both CHOSE installation are located in the university Campus and will provide the access to visitor apartments such as CampusX at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Similar conditions for the access to CHOSE@TURIN

The infrastructure is participating in several national and international research and industrial projects in 

• Development of tandem perovskite/silicon solar cell with the use of two-dimensional materials ;
• Large area single Junction perovskite solar modules ;
• Perovskite solar cells and modules for Building integration.

Particularly:

• GRAPHENE FLAGSHIP a large project devoted to the use of graphene and related two dimensional materials. In particular we are involved in WP11 on Energy applications. (https://graphene-flagship.eu/)
• ESPRESSO European Union funded project, “on “Efficient Structures and Processes for Reliable PerovskiteSolar Modules”, that gathers known leaders in the field of perovskite PV technology. (https://www.espresso-h2020.eu/)
• IMPRESSIVE  the main objective is to develop photovoltaic cells converting selectively UV & NIR part of the light excluding the visible range to reach colourless and fully transparent devices. (https://impressive-h2020.eu/)
• UNIQUE brings together renowned European research centers and strategic industrial partners whom identified carbon-based perovskite solar cells to be the most promising variant of the technology for industrialization.
• CITYSOLAR a European project devoted to the fabrication of tandem perovskite/organic solar cell for building integration. (https://www.citysolar-h2020.eu)