Flexible, Lightweight Sputtered Barrier Solutions for Roll-to-Roll Enabled Perovskite Solar Cells.

The primary challenge in commercial adoption of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the long-term stability of the perovskite layer. These layers have multiple degradation pathways, and barrier films play a crucial role in enhancing the durability and performance of these devices. Barrier films act as protective layers, shielding the sensitive components of PV devices from environmental factors such as moisture, oxygen, and UV-catalyzed volatilization. The encapsulation of PSCs with high-quality barrier films significantly improves stability, enabling them to maintain high efficiency even under prolonged exposure to degradation conditions. PET and other polymer films with sputtered optical coatings allow for lightweight, high performance barrier properties while still allowing optical effects that can improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the solar device. These films also enable Roll-to-Roll manufacturing and integration, further reducing the cost. This presentation will discuss various encapsulation methods, their respective barrier properties, common challenges for each method, and current work on the addition of functionality to barrier films with the use of sputtered coatings. By mitigating the adverse effects of environmental variables, barrier films contribute to the protection of PSCs, allowing for more reliable and sustainable solar energy solutions and wider market adoption of PS technology.