In 2026, certified perovskite-silicon tandem cell efficiencies surpassed 35%, extending the performance lead of tandem architectures beyond the theoretical 29% limit of silicon photovoltaics. This confirms what the research community has argued for a decade: stacking a perovskite top cell on silicon is the most practical route to the next big step in solar efficiency. Translating these laboratory results into commercially manufactured modules, however, requires more than continued gains in peak efficiency. In an industry that is bombarded by announcements about record breaking efficiencies and GW scale capacity plans, these are not realities that the industry operates under today. While Gigawatt-scale tandem lines are being built, they are running at a fraction of nameplate capacity or simply just running their pilot lines. The first commercial full-size tandem modules at industrial scale are expected to launch between 2028 and 2030 with efficiencies between 26% to 30%. For the leading manufacturers, the question is no longer whether perovskite-silicon tandems work; it is whether they can be made by the millions, at high yield, with lifetimes and stabilities that make the economics work for bankable projects. The answer largely depends on the few layers most people never see, some of them only a single molecule thick. The companies that can figure out which combination of materials and which process technologies achieve the best balance for stability and performance will ha...

Authors: Dr. Ing. Pieter Verding, Ing. Brent Verdonck, Dr. Rachith Shanivarasanthe Nithyananda Kumar, Prof. Dr. Wim Deferme IUMAT — Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University and, Imec Diepenbeek Belgium Executive Summary A scalable solution-based route to homogeneous coatings below 15 nm Spray-on-Screen (SoS) is an innovative solution-based deposition technology developed at IUMAT (Hasselt University / Imec) that enables the reproducible deposition of ultra-thin functional coatings in the few-nanometre thickness range over centimetre scale areas. While established thin-film deposition methods can produce excellent coatings, they typically require trade-offs between thickness control, process complexity, material consumption, substrate compatibility and scalability. SoS offers a process window that delivers homogeneous functional layers in the few-nanometre range, deposited without vacuum processing and using standard solution-processable materials. It has been demonstrated with both aqueous and alcohol-based formulations, operates without vacuum infrastructure, and is architecturally compatible with continuous roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing. Scaling layer thickness down offers significant practical advantages beyond device performance. For costly functional materials, reducing film thickness down to 15nm substantially lowers material consumption. Furthermore, avoiding vacuum infrastructure and high-temperature processing unlocks new possibilities for flexib...

Here are short video highlights from recent TechBlick events. In this issue: GraphEnergyTech | Thomas Baumeler | Can graphene carbon inks genuinely disrupt the silver metallization monopoly in solar cells? SparkNano | Alexander Bouman | Can a few nanometers of atomic layer deposition solve the notorious degradation challenge of perovskite solar cells? PINA Creation | Maryam Bari | How do you achieve a 2-nanometer crystalline grain size in low-temperature solution-processed thin films? CEA | Noëlla LEMAITRE | Can low-temperature screen-printed metallization replace evaporated silver grids in industrial-scale perovskite-silicon tandems? Total Energies | Lars Oberbeck | Why are 26% efficient perovskite-silicon tandems dead on arrival in utility-scale markets? SOLRA-PV | Yousef Farraj | Can We Design a Perovskite Solar Cell That Is 100% Recyclable Without Scraping the Electrodes? Perovskia Solar | Anand Verma | Can printed perovskites truly survive 10,000 hours of extreme damp heat without catastrophic degradation? SALD B.V. | Hindrik de Vries | Why does Couette flow limit the ultimate speed of roll-to-roll spatial atomic layer deposition? Swift Solar | Max Hoerantner | Why is monolithic two-terminal integration winning the tandem PV race over four-terminal alternatives? CubicPV | Adam Lorenz | Why must champion-efficiency perovskite chemistries be discarded when scaling up to high-throughput slot-die coating? Join us at our next event Meet the speakers and exhibitors in person ...

We would like to start our regular newsletters bringing you snippets of cutting edge knowledge and insights from our events across the world. In this newsletter we share short selected videos showcasing key innovations in additive and printed electronics. If you wish to learn more join us at the Future of Electronics RESHAPED conference and tradeshow in Berlin on October 20–22, 2026, where the entire industry meets to learn and do business. NoiseFigure Research | Dr. Manish Ojha | Can we bridge the gap between high-resolution sub-10 micron printing and industrial-scale manufacturing throughput for flexible packages? Iris Light Technologies Inc. | Pradeep Subedi | Can 2D Black Phosphorus Eliminate the Gluing Costs of Silicon Photonics? Lockheed Martin | Paul Gaylo | How do you build high-frequency RF antennas that survive high temperatures without cracking the ceramic substrate? iGii (Integrated Graphene) | Michelle Ntola | Can we integrate 3D nanocarbons directly onto silicon and metal foils without binders? Tapecon | Brad Hull | The Evolution of Smart Labels: From Identification to Intelligent Interaction. ChemCubed | Daniel Slep | How do molecular precursor inks achieve near-bulk conductivity without particle fillers? Sefar | Mark Pintar | How does mesh geometry determine whether your conductive paste prints like a "skyscraper" or a flat "factory"? Tatsuta | Robert Wilson | Can we bypass the high cost of silver in conductive inks without suffering from copper's extreme oxid...

After two days of ideas, technologies and industry discussions at TechBlick Berlin, continue the journey from process innovation to industrial manufacturing. On Friday, 23 October, GM Functionals invites you to a free Industry Day at our headquarters in Birkerød, just north of Copenhagen. Under the theme Scaling Printed Electronics and Functional Thin Films from Process Innovation to Industrial Manufacturing, the day brings together researchers, technology developers, materials specialists, process engineers and equipment experts. Experience the complete production process ​ See how the different stages of roll-to-roll manufacturing work together, from coating and drying to converting, inspection and automation. During the day, you can: See industrial roll-to-roll equipment in operation Explore coating, drying, curing and web handling Learn about converting, laser processing, inspection and automation Hear perspectives from our confirmed panel of industry and research experts Take part in practical workshops and technical discussions Exchange experiences with others working to scale functional materials and thin-film technologies The focus is on practical scale-up. ​What changes when a process moves beyond the laboratory? Which challenges appear at pilot and production scale? And how can materials, equipment and process knowledge be brought together more effectively? GM Functionals Industry Day Friday, 23 October 2026Birkerød, Denmark FREE participation, including catering C...

This is the most important conference and exhibition of the year on additive electronics, printed electronics, sustainable electronics, and electronic textiles. You can find the full program here https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped Day 1 - Wednesday 21 October 2026 09:00 · Track 2 Naxnova | Salil Musale | Forging a multi-national printed electronics powerhouse from India 09:00 · Track 3 Oxford Photovoltaics | Edward Crossland | The Era of Perovskite-on-Silicon: Bringing Tandem Solar to Market 09:20 · Track 2 CEA- Liten | Lina Kadura | From Subtractive to Additive: Transforming PCB Production for Sustainable Electronics 09:20 · Track 3 CubicPV | Adam Lorenz | Establishing Perovskite Bankability with Accelerated Testing and Energy Yield Analysis 09:40 · Track 2 GEIC | Andrew Strudwick | Graphene at Twenty: From Scientific Discovery to Commercial Reality 09:40 · Track 3 Kunshan GCL Optoelectronic Material Co.,Ltd | Dr. Bin Fan | Four Terminal Tandem Strategy for Perovskite 10:00 · Track 2 TracXon | Corne Rentrop | Scaling Roll-to-Roll Flexible Hybrid Electronics: From Patented VIA Fabrication to Mainstream Manufacturing 10:00 · Track 3 Microquanta | Yang Chen | Outlook for Four-Terminal Perovskite Tandem Technology 11:10 · Track 1 Energy Materials Corporation | Thomas Tombs | Realizing the full potential of Perovskite PV with High-Speed Roll-to-Roll Production 11:10 · Track 2 Konica Minolta | Kenji Mawatari | High Viscosity Fluid Jetting Technology...

Author: Cesar Omar Ramirez Quiroz | corq@gm.dk A functional material may perform well in the laboratory but producing it continuously and consistently is a very different challenge. This is a common issue in printed electronics, batteries, fuel cells, solar technologies, and other functional thin-film applications. As a process moves from laboratory trials to pilot production and industrial manufacturing, more variables come into play. Scale-up is not simply about increasing speed or using a wider web. The material, substrate, equipment, and individual production stages all need to work together. What changes during scale-up? Laboratory development often involves short samples, small quantities of material, and relatively slow processing speeds. Parameters can be adjusted between trials, and each production step can be examined separately. In roll-to-roll manufacturing, the substrate moves continuously through several stages. Coating, drying, curing, web handling, registration, inspection, and converting become part of the same process. Increasing the line speed, for example, reduces the time available for drying or curing. Moving to a wider web can increase output, but it may also make coating uniformity and tension control more difficult. A successful laboratory result is therefore only the starting point. The next task is to find a stable process window that can maintain the required quality throughout a complete production run. We are exhibiting at The Future of Electroni...

Author: Thibaut Soulestin, PhD; Technology Manager Printed Electronics; Henkel Adhesive Technologies; thibaut.soulestin@henkel.com Henkel Adhesive Technologies holds leading market positions worldwide in the industrial and consumer business. As a global leader in adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings, Henkel has developed a broad portfolio of LOCTITE® conductive inks and coatings. The LOCTITE® Printed Electronics portfolio includes more than 100 material solutions. Henkel silver inks are recognized for their reliability, printability, and ease of processing. This article examines silver-plated copper (SPC) inks as a lower cost and more price-stable alternative to conventional silver inks. It explains importance of raw material selection and formulation behind reliable electrical conductivity; and presents processing, aging, and compatibility data for LOCTITE® ECI 4010. We are exhibiting at The Future of Electronics RESHAPED in Berlin on 21-22 October 2026 Please register to meet us in person and see our technology in action. Economical Context Silver price fluctuations directly affect the cost of conventional silver-based electrically conductive inks. Over the past 20 years, silver has shown large and rapid price variations, as shown in Figure 1. A first peak occurred in 2011-2012, close to 50 USD/tOz. Earlier this year, silver reached record prices above 100 USD/tOz. Prices have since decreased, but have not returned below 30 USD/tOz. Silver demand remains supported b...