Electrohydrodynamically Assisted Deposition of organo-metallic hybrid perovskite thin films for Photovoltaics applications

The creation of lightweight and high efficiency photovoltaic devices is challenging, especially for deployment under extreme conditions, such as in outer space. Deposition techniques like drop casting or spin coating produce nonuniform films and are only useful under the influence of gravity. We have developed an alternative technique to prepare thin films via electrohydrodynamically (EHD) assisted deposition. Using Marangoni flow, this process allows precursors of different vapor pressures to be guided (via an applied electric field) onto a substrate in order to self-organize and produce uniform thin films while minimizing the amount of waste solution. In this talk, we will present different perovskite solar cell prototypes with different space qualified substrates that were prepared via EHD assisted deposition. To compare each prototype, we use characterization using photoluminescence (PL), spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). As a final goal, we aim to develop and optimize perovskite solar cell prototypes from inks of high wettability and space qualified substrates.