Industrialization of Perovskite Solar Cell Fabrication: Strategies to Achieve High-Throughput Vapor Deposition Processes

Abstract

Vapor phase deposition processes hold great potential for industrializing the deposition of perovskite-based absorbers, offering a pathway to commercialization. Specifically, the scalability, ability to produce conformal coatings, and established use in industrial processing of optoelectronic devices lead to the assumption that thermal sublimation is inherently suitable for commercial-scale perovskite solar cell production. However, ensuring economic viability requires a detailed assessment of achievable production throughputs, a key factor in achieving cost-effective large-scale manufacturing. This work bridges the gap between research focus and industry needs by introducing and analyzing three strategies to increase production throughput in an industrial context: (1) We investigate the thermal stability of key perovskite precursor materials to provide guidelines for safe operation by mitigating decomposition risks. (2) We critically evaluate the industrial feasibility of common deposition modes, including co-deposition and sequential deposition as scaling from laboratory to industrial production introduces new challenges in terms of material utilization and compositional material homogeneity. In addition, we analyze the static deposition rate profiles of key perovskite precursor materials and use this data to conceptualize a linear sublimation source. (3) A simulation-based approach allows an estimation of the horizontal scale-out required to achieve a production throughput of 1000 M10-size wafers per hour, which is considered the minimum threshold for pilot-scale production. This analysis explores strategies to achieve a fabrication throughput that is three orders of magnitude higher than the current academic discussion of accelerated vapor phase deposition based on laboratory-scale equipment. The sublimation of the organic precursor material is identified as a critical bottleneck and alternative deposition methods for achieving high production throughput are discussed. By addressing these key technical and economic challenges, our study offers practical insights for the transition of sublimation-based perovskite deposition from laboratory research to industrial-scale manufacturing.