A Lab-to-Fab Study toward Roll-to-Roll Fabrication of Reproducible Perovskite Solar Cells under Ambient Room Conditions

Summary The low power-conversion efficiency (PCE) and reproducibility reported to date for roll-to-roll (R2R)-fabricated perovskite solar cells (PSCs) results from difficulty in controlling perovskite film quality. Here, we present a systematic comparison of the hot-deposition method, which induces crystal-growth-driven (CGD) film formation, and the anti-solvent method, which induces nucleation-driven (ND) film formation, for one-step perovskite film formation. Perovskite films produced by the two methods show markedly different micro-structural and optoelectronic properties; however, PCEs of CGD-type PSCs are only marginally lower than those of ND-type PSCs. Importantly, the average performance of PSCs incorporating a CGD-type perovskite layer is independent of humidity during fabrication and displays improved stability and reproducibility, prompting further investigation of upscaling potential. R2R-produced PSCs on plastic substrate with four slot-die-coated functional layers show superior reproducibility and micro-structural, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic properties comparable with those of glass-based PSCs, indicating excellent promise for translation to a manufacturing process.