Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Canada has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 200 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 and photovoltaic solar cells are essential for meeting this objective. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on metal halide perovskite materials, in particular, have emerged as a disruptive, low-cost photovoltaic technology that can help achieve emission reductions. However, PSCs can degrade within a few hours on exposure to ambient conditions and electric fields, and it is established that this is the key challenge holding back their commercialization. To address this critical shortcoming, Drs. Musselman and Maheshwari are developing polymer-perovskite materials, inorganic encapsulation and charge-transport films, and spatial atomic layer deposition manufacturing techniques to achieve the breakthroughs needed for the stability of PSCs. Equipment to test the stability of PSCs is essential for this research. A set of stability testing protocols (adapted from the International Summit on Organic Photovoltaic Stability (ISOS) protocols) were established by the PSC research community in January 2020. All future PSC stability testing in peer-reviewed journals should be reported in accordance with these protocols. The tests require the atmosphere (air or nitrogen), temperature, humidity, illumination, and measurement voltage to be controlled. We are requesting an ISOS-compliant stability testing system for PSCs. It is capable of performing stability measurements in an inert atmosphere (nitrogen glove box) and in an environmental chamber, where the temperature and humidity of the air can be varied in accordance with the ISOS protocols. It includes a solar simulator that replicates the solar spectrum, as well as a silicon reference cell and quantum efficiency sub-system to calibrate the intensity of the simulated sunlight. A hotplate is used to heat the PSCs for thermal stability tests, and a source measure unit is used to measure the power produced by the PSCs. Due to the specific conditions required for the 2020 ISOS protocols, it is not possible to perform these critical tests and compare and publish findings without the requested system. The system will enable graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to publish their research and present it at conferences, gaining professional skills. It will also provide them with technical skills highly sought in Canada's energy, electronics, and manufacturing sectors. It was forecasted that an additional 55,600 workers will be needed by the advanced manufacturing sector in Canada by 2026. The system will also facilitate technology transfer activities, as both Dr. Musselman and Dr. Maheshwari have partnered with the Waterloo Commercialization Office to commercialize their stability-enhancing PSC technologies to help Canada meet its emissions targets.