Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) Opts for SALD

The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) gears up perovskite solar cells for industrial tandem cell production

Eindhoven/Netherlands, Singapore, 18 June 2022 - The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) announces that it will upgrade its "Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition" (SALD) equipment. SoLayTec and SERIS have been working closely together for over a decade in the field of silicon solar cells. Now, SERIS states that SoLayTec will upgrade its existing ALD system using the latest technology of SALD BV, a Dutch technology start-up, for development of scalable perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells.

"Upgrading to the new SALD equipment brings us significant advantages," explains Dr. Shubham Duttagupta, Deputy Director of the Next-Generation Industrial Solar Cells & Modules Cluster at SERIS. The Dutch company SALD BV has developed a unique, patented technology for applying precise coatings on an industrial scale that can be as thin as a single atom. These so-called nanocoatings are promising to revolutionize numerous industrial manufacturing processes, and thus entire branches of industry. In the solar industry, SALD coatings are key for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells, which can achieve efficiencies far above the theoretical limit of silicon-only solar cells, which are the most widely used solar cells today. It is precisely in this new area where SERIS aims to use the new SALD technology. Thanks to the SALD process, new solar cell materials can be used, including tin oxide and transparent conductive oxides, as well as novel passivation and tunnel recombination layers. The technologies developed by SERIS will be made available to industrial solar cell manufacturers through licensing agreements.

Perovskite solar cells are highly efficient, easy to process and inexpensive to produce, but still face technical challenges regarding their long-term stability. An atomically thin coating, as can be achieved with the SALD technology, makes the cells significantly more robust. SERIS wants to take the leap “from lab to fab”, i.e., from the laboratory environment to large-volume production with the new SALD machine. The potential for perovskite-silicon solar cells is great: According to forecasts, the global market is expected to exceed two billion dollars by 2027.

SALD BV has developed a unique worldwide patented technology for applying coatings that are as thin as a single atom on an industrial scale, termed "Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition" or SALD (www.spatialald.com). These atomically-thin coatings can bring revolutions to entire industries, such as the manufacturing of batteries for cars and smart devices, and the solar energy industry.

Further information: SALD BV, PO Box 520, 5600 AM Eindhoven, The Netherlands,

Web: www.spatialald.com, E-Mail: info@spatialald.com, Tel: +31 40 23 80 500,

contact: Lonneke van Wel, Tel. +31 40 238 05 00, E-mail: lonneke.vanwel@spatialald.com

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