Perspective

Cite This: J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2018, 9, 4326−4335 pubs.acs.org/JPCL

Perovskite Solar Cells: Toward Industrial-Scale Methods

Yulia Galagan*
TNO − Solliance, High Tech Campus 21, Eindhoven 5656AE, The Netherlands

ABSTRACT: Research progress in hybrid perovskite solar cells has increased enormously
over the last years, making perovskites very promising candidates for future PV
technologies. Perovskite solar cells use abundant and low-cost starting materials, providing
economic advantages for large-scale implementation. A transition from laboratory-scale
fabrication to industrial manufacturing requires scaling up of the dimension of the devices;
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manufacturing of large-area modules, considering the development of interconnection as

an important step toward upscaling; and development of deposition methods alternative
to spin coating, which are industrially compatible and facilitate high power conversion
efficiency of the manufactured devices. This Perspective provides an overview of the
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recent developments toward industrial-scale manufacturing. Advances and perspectives in

the developments of sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll deposition methods are discussed
along with other related technologies required for industrial-scale methods, e.g., laser
ablation, drying, post-treatment, and the use of alternative industry-compatible solvents
for manufacturing of perovskite solar cells.

sheet resistance of the TCO electrode of 10 Ω/□ (a typical

R apid progress in the development of perovskite-based
solar cells (PSCs) has been demonstrated in the past few
years. With a record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of
22.7%,1 PSC technologies can compete with conventional
photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Owing to the very attractive
features of tunable absorption spectra and very low non-
radiative recombination, PSCs have a big potential for future
applications. Although some issues of stability and toxicity still
have to be addressed before commercialization of PSC
technologies, big progress has been made in these areas.2−7
In order to facilitate a transition from laboratory-scale
fabrication toward industrial manufacturing, development of
deposition methods alternative to spin coating is of high
demand.8,9 The alternative industry-compatible deposition
methods should provide high layer uniformity with large
crystals and fewer grain boundaries over the large area, thereby
ensuring high PCEs of the manufactured devices.
Apart from the uniformity and the morphology of perovskite
layers over a large area, the efficiency of the devices might
change with scaling up of the dimension of the cells. For
example, as has been shown by Yang et al.,10 increasing the cell
dimension from 0.12 cm2 to 1.1 cm2 results in a PCE drop
from 17.5 to 15.5%. The efficiency dropped mainly due to a
decrease in the fill factor (FF), which was affected by the
resistance of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) electrodes.
In order to quantify the losses in large-area PSCs and modules,
Galagan et al.11 performed a simulation of the current
distribution on the devices. The performed simulation reveals
the correlations between the dimension of the cells, their
PCEs, and the sheet resistance of the electrodes (see Figure
1a−c). Moreover, a simulated current distribution in the
modules with different widths of the subcell (W) (see Figure,
1d) helped to determine the optimal width of the subcells in
the modules. The results demonstrate that modules with the
value for TCO on glass) have maximum performance with a
subcell width of 5 mm (see Figure 1e). However, modules
produced on plastic substrates where the sheet resistance of
the transparent electrode is 60 Ω/□ demonstrate an optimal
subcell width of 3 mm. These results are in line with the
simulation performed by Jaysankar et al.12 Interestingly, the
smaller subcell width was found to be not beneficial for the
PCE of the module because it resulted in an increasing number
of interconnections (dead area), lowering the current density
of the module. This was observed because the number of
interconnections increased, thereby decreasing the active area.
A geometrical fill factor (GFF), the ratio of the active area in
the module to the aperture area, is affected not only by the
number of interconnections but also by their width. Thus,
Moon et al.13 made calculations of relative power losses with
increasing width dead area (Wd) for the PV modules with a Jsc
of 19.6 mA/cm2, Voc of 1.1 V, FF of 74%, and TCO sheet
resistance of 15 Ω/□. The results, depicted in Figure 2a,
clearly point out that with decreasing dead area width Wd from
3000 to 500 μm the overall loss decreases dramatically from
about 35% down to about 10% at a fixed Wa of around 6 mm.
The research reveals the importance of having very narrow
interconnections in the modules and a high GFF in order to
obtain high PCEs. This is still a challenging task in the field of
perovskite photovoltaics, but a lot of research in this area is
ongoing.
There are a lot of publications where interconnections are
realized using mechanical scribes for P2 and P3 scribes.14 The
dead area using this method can be quite small, resulting in a
Received: April 29, 2018
Accepted: July 13, 2018

© XXXX American Chemical Society 4326 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b01356

J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2018, 9, 4326−4335
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters Perspective

Figure 1. (a,b) Simulated J−V curves of the PSCs with areas of 0.03, 0.16, 0.36, and 1 cm2 and different sheet resistances of TCO of (a) 10, (b) 40,
and (c) 60 Ω/□. (d) Schematic illustration of the module design. (e) Simulated maximum power in the perovskite modules with a varied width of
the subcells and different sheet resistances of the TCO electrodes. Adapted from ref 11 with permission from The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Figure 2. Calculated relative power losses as a function of the width of the active area (Wa) and the width of the dead area (Wd).13 Microscope
images of P1, P2, and P3 scribes with dead areas of (b) 38720 and (c) 250 μm.23 (a) Reproduced from ref 13 with permission, Copyright 2015
IEEE. (b) Reproduced from ref 20 with permission, Copyright 2017 IEEE. (c) Reproduced from ref 23 with permission, Copyright 2017 Elsevier
B.V.

high GFF, e.g., 87.3% as reported by Yang et al.14 or 91% technology is that the TiO2 electron-transport layer (ETL), a
reported Qiu et al.15 However, the bottleneck of this very dense material, remains in the interconnection between
4327 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b01356
J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2018, 9, 4326−4335
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
subcells after the mechanical scribe.14 It significantly affects the
module’s performance: a thick layer of TiO2 will lead to low
FF, thereby requiring a very thin layer for a high PCE.
The most promising technology to achieve a high GFF in
the modules is laser ablation. Patterning and manufacturing of
The most promising technology
to achieve a high GFF in the
modules is laser ablation.
the modules with the help of a laser not only minimize the
dead zone16−18 but also enable selective ablation with
complete removal of the materials without damaging the
underneath layer. Rakocevic et al.19 performed a comparison
between two methods of patterning for fabrication of
perovskite modules. Mechanical scribing and lather ablation
were employed for manufacturing of the modules with an
aperture area of 4 cm2. Using both methods, a GFF of 94% was
achieved, and the fabricated modules demonstrated aperture
area efficiencies of 15%. Another report on fully laser-
processed large-area (14.5 cm2) perovskite modules with a
GFF of 95% (Figure 2b) and a PCE of 9.3% were presented by
Palma et al.20 Later, this research group demonstrated flexible
perovskite modules of 12 cm2 with an active area efficiency of
8.8%, and the modules were manufactured using laser ablation
technologies.21 Solliance demonstrated the use of laser
technologies for both glass-based22,23 and flexible modules,24
where the GFF reached 95% (Figure 2c), with a record PCE
for 6 in. modules of 14.5 and 10.1% for glass-based and flexible
modules, respectively.
Development of industry-com-
patible deposition methods has
experienced rapid progress.
Manufacturing of large-area modules implies the develop-
ment of industrial-scale methods for deposition of all layers.
Although large-area modules were first produced using a spin
coating and mechanical scribe25 (Figure 3a), development of
industry-compatible deposition methods experienced rapid
progress. The first demonstration of scalable PSC manufactur-
ing is based on successful experience in organic solar cells
(OPVs) and dye-synthesized solar cell (DSSC) manufacturing.
For example, screen printing of mesoscopic TiO2 and Al2O3
materials for manufacturing of PSCs is adapted from DSSC
technologies.26,27 Then, screen printing was further utilized by
different research groups28,29 for manufacturing of triple-
layered mesoscopic perovskite modules. Thus, large-area (10 ×
10 cm2) printable mesoscopic perovskite modules were
demonstrated by Priyadarshi et al.28 (Figure 3b) and Hu et
al.29 (Figure 3c). The modules exhibited efficiencies exceeding
10% and were fabricated using screen-printed processes along
with infiltration of the perovskite solution. However,
manufacturing other stacks than mesoscopic ones requires
the development of a scalable deposition process for all layers
including the perovskite.
Scalable deposition of perovskite layers began by using
doctor blade coating as an alternative to spin coating. Although
doctor blading is not a fully roll-to-roll (R2R)-compatible
method, it is widely used in industry for batch-based sheet-to-
sheet (S2S) deposition because of low-cost and simplicity for
4328
Perspective
solution-processing. There are a number of reports where the
doctor blade technique was used for deposition of a perovskite
photoactive layer14,30−35 as well as for the deposition of all
other functional layers in the devices.33 Large-area modules
were also produced by many groups using doctor blade
methods. Thus, Razza et al.36 reported the manufacturing of
blade-coated PSCs with efficiencies up to 13.3%, while the 10.1
cm2 modules demonstrated a PCE of 10.4% and modules with
an area of 100 cm2 had a PCE of 4.3%. Gardner et al.37
presented PSC modules with active areas of 4 cm2 blade coated
using nonhazardous solvent systems; the modules demon-
strated efficiencies of 11.9% (from IV scans) and 8.2% (from
maximum power point tracking). Further optimization, in
order to reduce resistive and optical loses, allowed Imec to
produce blade-coated modules with an area of 16 cm2,
fabricated either by laser patterning or mechanical scribing.38
These modules (see Figure 3d) demonstrate up to 12.5%
aperture area efficiency. To manufacture efficient modules
using the doctor blading technique, several groups have
demonstrated the importance of substrate temperature for
homogeneous growth of the perovskite crystals, which is
responsible for the high efficiency of the devices.39,40
Substrate temperature is impor-
tant for homogeneous growth of
the perovskite crystals.
Fabrication of a perovskite layer using spray coating was
demonstrated by Das et al.;41 the deposition was performed in
a single step and resulted in high uniformity of the perovskite
film. Adaptation of spray coating for two-step deposition of the
perovskite layer was realized by Chai et al.42 and Huang at al.43
Furthermore, Bi et al.44 utilized spray deposition of perovskites
with a controlled temperature of the substrate to facilitate rapid
solvent evaporation, which is essential for avoiding dendritic
crystals and obtaining dense perovskite thin films without
pinholes. Spray-coated multilayer PSCs with an active area of
1.5 cm2 have been reported by Bishop et al.,45 where spray
coating was adapted for sequential deposition of four layers in
the device stacks. Another example of the PSCs with three
spray-coated layers was reported by Mohamad et al.,46 where
PEDOT:PSS, perovskites and PCBM layers were spray coated.
Tait et al.47 further exploited manufacturing of the modules,
demonstrating initial PCEs of 15.7% for small-scale devices
and 11.7% for 3.8 cm2 modules. Reports on spray coating of
multiple layers in perovskite devices with PCEs comparable to
those of the devices produced using spin coating confirmed the
suitability of spray coating for manufacturing of large-area
efficient perovskite modules.48
Although a lot of different deposition techniques were
explored for the manufacturing of PSCs and modules, slot-die
coating remains one of the most investigated and, perhaps, the
most preferred deposition methods. Scientists from SPECIF-
IC49 exploited a slot-die coating technique for infiltration of
perovskites into a mesoporous titania scaffold. A perovskite
crystallization process was controlled by the temperature of the
substrate and by applying a rapid postprocess using an air
knife. The use of slot-die coating was also reported by Lee et
al.50 Modules with an active area of 10 cm2 were fabricated
using mixed lead precursors of PbAc2 and PbCl2 and
employing a nitrogen gas blower. The PCE of these modules
reached 8.3%. Furthermore, using a Mini Roll coater, Ciro et
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The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters Perspective

Figure 3. (a) Perovskite-based PV module with an active area of 13.5 cm2 and stabilized PCE of 10.1%, fabricated by spin coating and a mechanical
scribe,25 reproduced from ref 25 with permission. (b) Monolithic perovskite modules with a size of 10 × 10 cm2 (active area = 70 cm2) with a PCE
of 10.74%, fabricated using a screen printing process along with infiltration of the perovskite solution,28 reproduced from ref 28 with permission,
Copyright 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry. (c) Perovskite PV module with 10 serially connected cells (10 × 10 cm2) with a PCE of 10.4% on
an active area of 49 cm2,29 reproduced from ref 29 with permission, Copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. (d)
Perovskite PV module with a graphene interface demonstrating a PCE of 12.5% over a 50 cm2 active area, reprinted with permission from ref 54,
Copyright 2017 American Chemical Society. (e) Perovskite PV module with an aperture area of 36.1 cm2 and a certified PCE of 12.1%,55
reproduced from ref 55 with permission, Copyright 2017 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. (f) A 15 × 15 cm2 slot-die-coated
perovskite PV module with an aperture area of 168.75 cm2, containing 25 interconnected cells,23 reproduced from ref 23 with permission,
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V.

al.51 investigated slot-die coating deposition for fabrication of

PSCs in ambient conditions. The same as those for other
deposition methods, the results point out that the morphology
of the layer strongly depends on the processing temperature. A
fully ambient roll processing of flexible PSCs was demonstrated
by Krebs et al.52 The slot-die-coated devices with printed back
electrodes exhibited a PCE of 4.9%, while spin-coated devices
with evaporated electrodes yielded a PCE of 9.4%. Performed
research emphasizes that the morphology of the perovskite
layers strongly depends on the surface properties of the layer
underneath. Therefore, in order to modify the surface
properties, Gu et al.53 reported deposition of a self-assembled
monolayer onto PEDOT:PSS prior to the deposition of
perovskite. It modifies the crystallinity and uniformity of the
perovskite layer, resulting in improving the PCE from 3.7 to
5.1%. The importance of interfaces for fabrication of large-area
modules was also noticed by Agresti et al.54 It was reported
that two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene can
tune the interfacial properties of PSCs. The possibility of
processing graphene from solution allowed the manufacturing
of large- area modules with an active area of 50.6 cm2 and a
PCE of 12.6% (see Figure 3d).
In order to fabricate a large-area uniform layer, Weihua Solar
applied a gas pumping process after the slot-die coating of a
perovskite layer. Then, te carbon back electrode was screen-
4329
Slot-die coating remains one of
the most investigated and, per-
haps, the most preferred
deposition methods.
printed on top of the fabricated perovskite layer. Manufactur-
ing of the modules was competed by laser scribing in order to
make series interconnection. These technologies allowed
manufacturing of the perovskite modules the areas of 5 × 5
cm2 and a PCE of 10.6%. The technology was further scaled
up, and modules with the dimension of 45 × 65 cm2 were
fabricated.56 Uniform layer formation over the large area is the
most challenging task in the upscaling of perovskites, which
was solved by Weihua Solar using the gas pumping method. To
control the formation of a large-area perovskite film, Gao et
al.57 introduce the air knife method with multiple gas flows,
which allows fast drying of the film, providing high uniformity
over the large area. Further, Chen et al.55 proposed a new
deposition route for perovskite film formation that does not
rely on the use of solvent quenching or vacuum post-
treatments but is based on the rapid conversion of amine
complex precursors to perovskite films using a pressure
application step. The new deposition approach was performed
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Figure 4. R2R production of PSCs demonstrating (a) conversion of the cloudy PbI2 layer into a perovskite film and (b) a flexible PSC module on a
10 × 10 cm2 substrate with five cells serially interconnected.59 (a,b) Reproduced from ref 59 with permission, Copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag
GmbH & Co. KGaA. (c) Perovskite layer slot-die coated on Solliance’s R2R line, reproduced from ref 64 with permission, Copyright 2017
Solliance. (d) R2R-produced flexible perovskite PV module with 36 serially interconnected subcells, an aperture area of 160 cm2, and a PCE of
10.1%, reproduced from ref 24 with permission, Copyright 2017 Solliance.

in air at low temperature and resulted in a pinhole-free and
highly uniform perovskite layer, facilitating fabrication of large-
area perovskite modules (Figure 3e) with an aperture area of 6
× 6 cm2 and certified efficiency of 12.1%.
The adaptation of a 3D printing slot-die coater for
deposition of PSCs was realized by researchers from Australia
and Korea.58 A modified 3D printer was used to develop the
printing process for potential use in large-scale R2R
production, where PSCs with PCEs of 11.6% were
demonstrated. Later, the same group demonstrated fully
printed PSCs using slot-die coating, where sequential slot-die
coating processes were developed to produce efficient PSCs.
The devices where all layers, except the electrodes, were coated
demonstrate PCEs of up to 11.96%59,60 (see Figure 4a,b).
Then, Kim et al.61 combined slot-die coating with a blowing
step; this significantly improved the quality of perovskite layer.
Further improvement was achieved by optimizing the
temperature of the deposition, and the manufactured devices
demonstrated a PCE of 12.7%. These results were further
improved in the fully slot-die-coated devices62 based on a
Bifluo-OMeTAD hole-transport layer (HTL) with a PCE of
14.7%. Blowing-assisted deposition was further explored to
manufacture devices using modified PEDOT:PSS as the HTL,
which resulted in a maximum PCE of 19.48%.63 This
technology and an optimized formulation then were
successfully transferred to the slot-die coating on glass and
subsequently to R2R on flexible substrates, resulting in
maximum PCEs of 15.57 and 11.16%, respectively.
4330
Focusing on the scalable industry-compatible manufacturing
of large-area PSC modules, Solliance reached several
remarkable milestones. Using the S2S slot-die coating method,
perovskite modules with an aperture area of 168 cm2 with a
PCE of 10% were demonstrated23 (Figure 3f). These results
were later improved, reaching a PCE of 13.75% (14.5% active
area efficiency).22 The modules contained 24 serially
connected subcells produced through P1, P2, and P3 laser
interconnection technologies. Obtained results were farther
exploited by Solliance toward scalability using R2R slot-die
coating technologies. R2R coating, drying, and annealing of the
perovskite and other layers were performed at ambient
conditions with a web speed of 5 m/min (Figure 4c).
Developed technologies allowed one to demonstrate a world
record PCE of 13.5% for PSCs using R2R manufacturing;24
this result is an improved version of the earlier reported PCE
of 12.3%.24 Furthermore, the series of modules with aperture
areas of 4, 10.5, and 160 cm2 were manufactured using R2R
coating technologies. Modules of both 4 and 10.5 cm2 with a
GFF of 93% yielded a PCE of 12.2% (13.5% active area
efficiency), indicating no efficiency loses when going upscale
from small devices to modules. Further scaling up of the
module dimension to 160 cm2 resulted in a PCE of 10.1%
(11.1% active area efficiency); the module is shown in Figure
4d. The results prove the capability of the high-volume
production for perovskite PV technologies using low-temper-
ature processes (below 120 °C), low-cost materials, and
nontoxic solvents suitable for industrial-scale manufacturing.
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The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
The importance of a solvent system for fabrication of
perovskite films is well accepted. The solvent systems along
The importance of a solvent
system for fabrication of perov-
skite films is well accepted.
with the selected deposition method, quenching, and drying
are responsible for the nucleation, crystallization, and film
formation. The most commonly used solvents for perovskite
precursor deposition are g-butyrolactone (GBL),37 N,N-
dimethylformamide (DMF),65,66 or their mixtures with
dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).65,67 Unfortunately, with consid-
erable achievements in terms of PCEs using DMF, this solvent
is highly toxic and therefore unsuitable for industrial-scale
manufacturing.68 The alternative solvent system, designed for
rapid crystallization of the CH3NH3PbI3 at room temperature,
is based on methylamine and acetonitrile.69 These solvents are
nontoxic; however, their use is limited by their high
flammability and volatility. High PCEs can be obtained in
PSCs made from mixtures of nontoxic GBL and DMSO,37 but
GBL is classified as a psychoactive drug and has a restriction
for use in many countries. DMSO remains the only
nonhazardous solvent suitable for industrial use.70 However,
PSCs produced solely from DMSO have low PCEs due to very
small grains size and a high number of pinholes in the layer.71
Mixing DMSO with cosolvents, such as 2-methylpyrazine (2-
MB) and 1-pentanol (1-P), helps in rapid nucleation and
crystallization of the perovskite phase in the deposited layer.71
High PCEs of the devices confirm that the developed solvent
system of DMSO/2-MP/1-P is highly suitable for R2R
manufacturing of PSCs. Apart from the nonhazardous solvents
for perovskite deposition, industry-scale manufacturing will
require nontoxic solvents for all other processes. Highly toxic
solvents such as toluene or chlorobenzene are still widely used
for the deposition of charge transporter materials, e.g., spiro-
OMeTAD or PCBM, or in the antisolvent step. Replacement
of these solvents by greener alternatives was reported by Yavari
et al.;72 it was shown that anisole used both as an antisolvent
and a solvent for spiro-OMeTAD leads to comparable PCEs
when using toxic modifications.
Despite significant progress in the technologies for the
upscaling of PSCs, the stability of the modules still needs
detailed investigation. A lot of research has been focused on
understanding the degradation mechanism in PSCs73−75 and
designing stable devices.76 It was shown that introduction of
the alkali metal cation, e.g., cesium or rubidium,77,78 improves
the stability of the PSCs. A positive effect on the stability has
also been achieved by 2D/3D interface engineering76,79 as it is
well accepted that the key point of the PSC’s stability lies at
interfaces.80 Furthermore, the effect of transport layers (ETL
and HTL) on the stability of the PSC is widely presented in
the literature,81 concluding that inorganic transport materials
might be preferred to maintain a long lifetime of the PSCs.82,83
However, demonstration of stable devices on a lab scale does
not yet guarantee the stability of the modules. One of the
additional parameters that is responsible for the stability of the
modules, as discussed earlier, is layer uniformity over the large
area. Fabrication of uniform pinhole-free and crack-free layers
is essential for the stability of large-area modules.7 Defects in
the layers, as well as nonoptimized interfaces, introduce
recombination centers, leading to nonradiative losses in the
4331
Perspective
devices.73 Furthermore, an additional parameter influencing
the stability of the modules, which does not play a role in the
stability of the signed cells, is an interconnection. The
The influence of the intercon-
nections on the stability of the
modules still needs to
be investigated.
influence of the interconnections on the stability of the
modules still needs to be investigated. For example, incomplete
removal of the ETL (in n−i−p configuration) or HTL (in p−
i−n configuration) in the P2 scribe not only affects the
performance of the modules14 but also affects their stability.
Furthermore, the P2 scribe (see Figure 1c) aimed to remove
photoactive perovskite layer, and the ETL and HTL allow
direct contact of the top electrode (which is typically metal)
with the perovskite material. Although the issues related to
such contact are not yet widely discussed in the literature, it is
expected to have a very strong influence on the long-term
stability of the modules due to ion exchange between the
perovskites and the electrode material, e.g., Au or Al. It is well-
known from the literature84,85 that any contact between the
metal electrode and the perovskite will result in the formation
of a nonconductive metal halide and introduce an iodide
deficiency within the perovskite. To overcome this issue,
several research groups employed Cr/Au84 or Cu86 contacts,
which slow down the interaction, but this concept was not yet
employed on a module level. Another approach to solve this
issue was the use of a carbon electrode. Thus, stable carbon-
based modules with an active area of 70 cm2 with a PCE of
10.74% were demonstrated by Priyadarshi et al.;28 the modules
demonstrate an ambient stability of more than 2000 h with less
than a 5% reduction in efficiency. Hu et al.29 demonstrated a
mesoscopic module with a carbon electrode. The 10 × 10 cm2
module shows an active area efficiency of 10.4%. The light-
soaking stability of this module exceeds 1000 h, the outdoor
stability was confirmed to be at least 1 month, and a shelf
lifetime of more than 1 year has been proven. Another
alternative for the highly reactive back contacts is an ITO
electrode, which is less reactive than the perovskite, resulting in
very stable bifacial devices.87 Finally, apart from intrinsic and
operational stability, development of a reliable encapsulation
strategy for PSCs and modules88 is another key point to
guarantee a long lifetime of the modules for future commercial
applications.
Nonhazardous industrial solvent
systems, large-area deposition,
uniform drying, laser ablation,
and encapsulation technologies
will enable industrial-scale
manufacturing.
Nonhazardous industrial solvent systems, large area
deposition, uniform drying, laser ablation, and encapsulation
technologies will enable industrial-scale manufacturing of PSCs
modules. Several examples of building perovskite solar plants
or large-area panels have already been demonstrated, showing
the feasibility of perovskite PV technologies. Thus, the
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Figure 5. (a) The 7 m2 perovskite solar panels with a screen-printed triple layer mesoporous scaffold and infiltrated by a mixed cation lead halide
perovskite, reproduced from ref 29 with permission, Copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. (b,c) Power station set
up at Weihua Solar containing 32 slot-die-coated perovskite panels of 45 × 65 cm2, reproduced from ref 56 with permission, Copyrigt 2017
Chinese Institute of Electronics.
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, along with
demonstrating stable and 10% efficient 10 × 10 cm2 perovskite
modules,29 also showed fully printable large-area 7 m 2
perovskite panels (see Figure 5a). This achievement proves
the suitability of screen printing for manufacturing of
perovskite PV modules. Furthermore, a technology used by
Weihua Solar56 for printing 10.6% efficient 5 × 5 cm2 modules
was exploited further for manufacturing large-area 45 × 65 cm2
modules, allowing one to set up a power station made of 32
perovskite panels (see Figure 5b,c). This achievement
demonstrates significant progress in the field of scaling up
perovskite technologies and bringing them toward industrial
manufacturing. Although several challenging issues such as
stability, toxicity, etc. still need to be solved before
commercialization of these technologies,73 there are several
companies who believe in the bright future of PSCs. Along
with materials providers, such us Tokyo Chemical Industry
(TCI),89 FrontMaterials,90 and GreatCell Solar,91 there are
several developers of solar panels based on perovskite
materials: Oxford PV,92 Microquanta Semiconductor,93 Saule
Technologies,94 Frontier Energy Solution,95 Toshiba,96 and
Solaronix.97 Involvement of industry in technology develop-
ment at an early stage ensures a fast transition from laboratory-
scale fabrication toward industrial-scale manufacturing and will
allow rapid commercialization of perovskite-based PV
technologies.
■ AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail: yulia.galagan@tno.nl.
4332
Perspective
ORCID
Yulia Galagan: 0000-0002-3637-5459
Notes
The author declares no competing financial interest.
Biography
Yulia Galagan is a Senior Scientist at Holst Centre/TNO and
Solliance. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry in 2002 from Kyiv
University. She was a postdoctoral researcher at National Taiwan
University, and in 2008, she joined Holst Centre. Her research
interests are focused on organic and perovskite-based electronics and
scaling up the emerging technologies. Currently, Yulia Galagan is a
group leader responsible for large-area processing and development of
technologies for roll-to-roll manufacturing of perovskite photovoltaics.
■
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by the European Commission’s
StableNextSol COST Action MP1307. The work has been
supported by Solliance, a partnership of R&D organizations
from The Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany working in
thin-film photovoltaic solar energy. This work is part of the
research programme CLEARPV, Grant M-ERA.NET 2017
CW with Project Number 732.017.105, which is (partly)
financed by The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific
Research (NWO).
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4335 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b01356

J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2018, 9, 4326−4335