Researchers at North Carolina State University have made significant advancements in the field of solar cell technology by harnessing the power of robotics. In their quest to improve the efficiency of tandem solar cells, they have developed an innovative robotic system called RoboMapper that can expedite the discovery of ideal materials.
Tandem solar cells, which combine silicon with perovskite materials, have already achieved an impressive 33 percent efficiency. However, they still fall short of their theoretical limit of approximately 45 percent due to degradation under sunlight. The challenge lies in finding the perfect combination of materials that efficiently capture sunlight and remain stable at normal temperatures.
Perovskites, with their unique rhombus-in-a-cube crystal structure, show promise for tandem solar cells. However, predicting the properties of different chemical compositions is a complex and costly task. This is where RoboMapper comes in.
RoboMapper consists of two main components that dramatically accelerate material synthesis and characterization. The first part is an ink-preparation robot that blends various base chemicals into hundreds of inks with different perovskite potential. The second part is a printing robot that applies these inks onto a single substrate in a grid formation, allowing researchers to simultaneously test numerous samples using diagnostic tools.
The efficiency of RoboMapper surpasses manual exploration by a factor of 14 and outpaces other automated methods by a factor of nine. This remarkable speed in material synthesis and characterization opens up opportunities to explore uncharted regions of chemical composition space.
In a recent demonstration of RoboMapper’s capabilities, the researchers tested multiple potential perovskite mixtures and identified an ideal perovskite blend that exhibited the desired properties for tandem solar cells. While this breakthrough focused on the perovskite material itself and not its integration with silicon, the researchers are actively using RoboMapper to explore additional promising mixtures.
This innovative robotic approach to material discovery has broader applications beyond tandem solar cells. It can revolutionize material research, semiconductor development, and printed electronics. Additionally, the energy cost of material testing is significantly reduced compared to computer simulations, making RoboMapper a more efficient and valuable tool in scientific advancements.
Not only does RoboMapper accelerate research, but it also provides valuable real-world data for machine learning and AI models. This further facilitates advancements in various scientific fields and enables researchers to develop highly efficient tandem solar cells and other innovative technologies.
The successful implementation of RoboMapper marks a significant step forward in the quest to improve the efficiency of solar cells. As researchers continue to explore and identify new materials, the future of solar energy looks brighter than ever.
Keywords: efficiency, tandem solar cells, perovskite materials, RoboMapper, material synthesis, material characterization, chemical composition, silicon integration, material discovery, innovative technologies, solar energy.
