Flash-evaporation printing methodology for perovskite thin films

Printing solutions have attracted wide attention from various research fields, but thin films made by printing technologies still cannot match the quality of the films made by conventional thin-film deposition methods. In this study, a flash-evaporation printing (FEP) technology, which employed a freestanding carbon nanotube (CNT) flash evaporator, was developed to address this issue and to achieve a compact physical vapor deposition geometry. The target material precoated on the CNT flash evaporator was printed onto a substrate by gas-phase transportation. The FEP methodology presented a printable solution for hybrid perovskite thin films. The as-fabricated photovoltaic devices showed power conversion efficiencies of ∼10.3%, and the thin films were also utilized as potential photodetectors. In addition, this technology can also be used to print patterns and a wide variety of materials on large panels. The environmentally friendly and cost-effective FEP technology will be of significant benefit to printed electronics, organic electronics and future flexible electronics. Integrating high-purity vapor sources into printing techniques noticeably boosts the performance of thin-film photovoltaics. Yang Wei from Tsinghua University, China, and his team developed an alternative to normally bulky thermal evaporators by coating metal frames with layers of ’super-aligned‘ carbon nanotubes, cross-stacked 15 sheets high. With a heat capacity over three orders of magnitude lower than metals, the carbon-nanotube stack warms up to 1,100 degrees Celsius instantly following laser stimulation. These thermal properties enable flash deposition of reagents from the tiny evaporator to a target substrate just a millimeter away. The researchers demonstrated the potential of this approach by flash depositing perovskite precursors as a thin film and then transforming them into solar cells with liquid chemicals. Analysis revealed the new fabrication technique fabricated the perovskite thin film with high quality, resulting in a high 10.3% power conversion efficiency. A flash-evaporation printing technology is developed that employs freestanding carbon nanotubes as a flash evaporator. The target materials precoated on the flash evaporator are printed onto substrates by gas-phase transportation. This methodology offers a printable solution for hybrid perovskite thin films, and can also be used to print patterns and a wide variety of materials on large panels.

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