SBIR Phase I: Low-Cost Printable Photovoltaics on Flexible Plastics

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to enable inexpensive, lightweight and non-obtrusive solar power that will allow for seamless power integration in ways that are currently not possible. This research project aims to enable power generation in new contexts, in particular power-integrated labels, which could revolutionize the label industry. Printed solar power would enable label-integrated active displays to draw consumer attention to safety warnings or key instructions, and sensors that could be deployed in food packaging for safer handling and improved quality. In the future, integration of solar power with light emitting diode devices on plastic would open new opportunities for energy-efficient lighting in both rural and urban environments. Combining the benefit of very low cost, pliable substrates, and ultimately, high efficiency, solar power has the potential to change the way solar energy is deployed to the market and utilized to power devices. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will broaden fundamental understanding of the chemistry and physics of inorganic nanocrystal photovoltaic devices. Nanocrystal size and composition, film morphology, and other device parameters will be manipulated and optimized to provide a detailed understanding of the performance of this class of solar devices. This may lead to a new superstrate design for copper indium gallium selenide devices using an entirely solution-processed fabrication method. In addition, the rigorous investigation of print methods for solar fabrication that will be pursued will increase understanding of key parameters within the print process that affect device performance, which will be broadly applicable to nanocrystal solar cells based on different material systems and printed electronics in general. The primary objectives of this project are to produce a printed device with a reasonable size and efficiency that can be used to feed low-power electronic components.