Scientists have been investigating the use of perovskite materials for solar energy for around a decade. The materials, which offer excellent performance and are easy to use, have a promising future in photovoltaics. Liten, a CEA Tech institute, developed a thin perovskite layer that offers enhanced intrinsic properties. The researchers worked on precursor formulation, the deposition process, and post-processing to successfully control the material's crystallization on larger surfaces.

The perovskite layer was first created at the single-cell scale. The process was then scaled up to mini-modules, and active surfaces of 10 sq. cm were obtained. The resulting photovoltaic system offers maximum yields of 16% and has an active surface that represents more than 93% of the total substrate surface. This impressive performance was made possible in part by the development of three laser structuring steps enabling the serial connection of the cells without resistive loss.

The process used is compatible with flexible roll-to-roll volume production of very-low-cost perovskite modules and with the development of tandem cells using the heterojunction technology developed at INES (the French national center for solar energy research) for high-yield photovoltaic products. The next step will be to continue to scale up the technology to 156 mm x 156 mm substrates using industrial processes and ensure more stable performance of the modules when exposed to sunlight.