Automating perovskite solar cell materials research

A Danish research group is working on an automated material discovery and performance optimization platform for perovskite solar cells. The scientists claim a unique combination of robotics, advanced measurement equipment, and machine learning.

Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark are working on a new automated material discovery and optimization platform focused on high-performing perovskite solar cells. 

The automated system is meant to accelerate the development of perovskite devices by fabricating, characterizing, modeling and optimizing the constituent thin film and cell materials.

It will combine robotics, advanced measurement equipment, and machine learning technologies.

Going beyond screening and target discovery, it will collect and analyze experimental data in real-time to identify performance-limiting patterns, but also perform device modeling, and use machine learning methods to quantify key material properties, such as mobilities and defect densities.

“The aim is to identify the minimum number and types of characterizations required to fully determine the properties of all layers in a device stack,” lead researcher, Vincent LeCorre, told pv magazine. “Once we establish that, we'll use it to develop quantitative structure-property relationships, linking chemical structure to physical properties.”

The project, dubbed R2-D2 in reference to the fictional robot in the Hollywood Star Wars series, will use SpinCoating Robot equipment from Germany-based Sciprios, according to LeCorre. It is a customizable, high-throughput research tool that can be programmed to manipulate objects, load multiple spin coaters, open and close vials, pipette liquids, mix master solutions and perform annealing.

The Danish project is supported by a DKK 6 million ($935,800) Sapere Aude grant from the Independent Research Fund Denmark.

“This project is a first step in a longer-term plan, where the focus will shift toward generative AI for materials discovery,” specified LeCorre.

Elsewhere, scientists are applying robotics and automation to accelerate research into emerging thin film solar cells, such as finding the best charge transport layers or discovering new materials for perovskite solar cells or uncovering new material combinations for high-efficiency organic solar cells.