What is PV cell inkjet printing?

Inkjet printing is a method used in PV cell manufacturing for depositing metal paste directly onto the surface of the cell through very small openings of a highly efficient, parallel print head. It offers a contactless, maskless printing alternative to conventional screen printing and stencil printing.

Can inkjet printing be used in solar cell fabrication?

Compared with the coating methods, inkjet printing is a mature industrial technology with the advantages of random digital patterning, excellent precision and fast printing speed, which is considered to have great potential in solar cell fabrication.

How efficient is a printed perovskite solar cell?

Scientists at Swansea University have created large-scale devices with an impressive 10.8% efficiency rating, made by printing solar ink on perovskite. And manufacturers in Australia have hit 19% efficiency for small-scale printed perovskite solar cells, which shows an encouraging rate of progress.

How are printed solar panels made?

Printed solar panels are made by printing solar ink onto plastic surfaces – like a more large-scale version of you printing a document at home. This process can be carried out by standard industrial printers, so solar manufacturers won’t have to buy new, expensive technology if they want to move into this space.

What is inkjet printing?

Inkjet printing is a non-contact process that involves jetting tiny ink droplets to facilitate direct printing. It is extremely versatile and can print graphics on various surfaces. Industrial inkjet printers today can deposit a wide range of inks with ultra-precise accuracy on different substrates.

What is a printed solar panel?

Printed solar panels are flexible, lightweight, and more recyclable than standard silicon panels, since they’re made almost entirely of plastic. They can also – in theory – be manufactured quickly and cheaply, while their adaptable form means you should be able to put a printed solar panel on just about any surface.