Harnessing the natural power of sunlight to make energy and the air to produce water.
Lab: Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeWhat: Near-invisible ultrathin perovskite solar cellsStage: TRL-3
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have created perovskite solar cells that are about 10,000 times thinner than a strand of human hair and around 50 times thinner than conventional perovskite solar cells.
Perovskite solar cells are made up of several layers, including a semiconductor layer that absorbs sunlight and converts it into electricity.
To make their ultrathin cells, the NTU team used a vacuum-based process, also known as thermal evaporation, in which source materials are heated in a vacuum chamber until they evaporate. The vapour then settles on a surface, where it forms a thin film.
Using this technique, the researchers were able to produce perovskite absorber layers down to 10 nanometers while retaining useful solar-cell performance.
“Our perovskite solar cells...