Roll-to-Roll spatial ALD advances scalable perovskite solar cell manufacturing

A key challenge in scaling perovskite solar cells (PSCs) lies in the high-throughput and uniform deposition of thin films such as SnO₂ electron transport layers on flexible substrates. Conventional ALD provides excellent film quality but suffers from low throughput due to slow pump–purge cycles and limited area. Spatial ALD overcomes this by separating precursor exposures, enabling deposition rates over two orders of magnitude faster in combination with a roll-to-roll format. With web speeds support up to 80 m·min⁻¹, substrate widths up to 1.5 m, and deposition temperatures between 50–150 °C for flexible polymer and metal foils, the key challenge can be resolved. This presentation will introduce the fundamentals of spatial ALD and illustrate how the roll-to-roll implementation enables translation from laboratory-scale film optimization to gigawatt-scale PSC manufacturing, with emphasis on scalable SnO₂ deposition and how the SparkNano Omega system addresses the throughput, uniformity, and substrate compatibility requirements critical for industrialization.