Projects: Custom Search UKERC Home UKERC Energy Data Centre Projects Custom Search List of Projects Found EP/W007975/1
Reference Number	EP/W007975/1
Title	All-Evaporated Triple-Junction Perovskite Photovoltaic Devices
Status	Started
Energy Categories	Renewable Energy Sources (Solar Energy, Photovoltaics) 100%;
Research Types	Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields	PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry) 20%; PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials) 30%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 20%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Chemical Engineering) 25%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 5%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Dr JB Patel Oxford Physics University of Oxford
Award Type	Standard
Funding Source	EPSRC
Start Date	01 April 2022
End Date	31 March 2025
Duration	36 months
Total Grant Value	£564,332
Industrial Sectors	Energy
Region	South East
Programme	Energy : Energy
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Dr JB Patel , Oxford Physics, University of Oxford (100.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract	With the advancement of technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and satellites have become widely accessible for a variety of applications, such as logistics, agriculture, healthcare, military, and scientific endeavours. UAVs currently rely on battery technology to power onboard computers and global positioning satellite systems for long- and short-range flights. For example, the recent investment of 500 million by the UK government in the British satellite company, OneWeb, indicates a significant push towards developing low-cost satellites with novel communications technologies.To meet the required specifications for different purposes, UAVs and satellites increasingly need cost-effective novel sources of power to maintain and extend the running time of ever-increasing auxiliary components and recharge energy storage systems. High power-to-weight photovoltaic devices can meet the needs of these new classes of electronic devices. Metal halide perovskite solar cells have now achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 25.5%, making them the leading emerging thin film photovoltaic material. Unlike many other emerging photovoltaic materials, high quality perovskite films of a wide range of bandgaps can be fabricated at low temperature on a variety of substrates. The aim of this research project is to pioneer a 30% PCE triple-junction perovskite solar cell with a high power-to-weight ratio. The current limitations in developing perovskite multi-junction photovoltaics are predominantly based on the limitations of solution processing. Physical vapour deposition (PVD), specifically thermal evaporation, is a dry process, which produces uniform perovskite films and does not require solvents, is scalable and is widely used in industry to fabricate a variety of large-scale electronics.This EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellowship proposal sets out a plan to develop an all-evaporated 30% triple-junction perovskite photovoltaic device. Initially I will develop each subcell in a research PVD chamber and find the ideal evaporation rates to create a high-quality perovskite thin film and charge transport layers. I will then transfer these parameters to the new National Thin Film Cluster Facility for Advanced Functional Materials, which is hosted by Oxford Physics, where I will be able to fabricate each subcell, and combine them, in vacuum, to create a triple junction perovskite solar cell. Whilst developing the perovskite thin films, I will carefully monitor and elucidate the crystal growth mechanism of perovskite thin films with varying compositions and deliver a holistic blueprint on requirements to evaporate perovskite thin films of outstanding optoelectronic quality. Three subcells will be developed, with each subcell fabricated using only solvent-free deposition techniques, such as PVD, atomic layer deposition and sputtering and will compromise a p-i-n heterojunction architecture. Each subcell will then be electrically connected with a transparent conductiveoxide recombination layer at the National Thin Film Cluster Facility for Advanced Functional Materials to form the final completed device. The triple-junction devices will be encapsulated using vapour deposition with an industrial encapsulant material used to protect microchips and electronics. Finally, a series of device stability experiments will be undertaken to determine effect of simulated rain, light, temperature, and chemical exposure on the device.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	27/04/22