NSF-DFG: Solvent-Free Manufacturing of Perovskite Large-Scale Electronics

Wake Forest University, Winston Salem NC

Investigators

Abstract

Future generations of optoelectronic devices will enhance the quality of our lives and shape major industries, as well as the medical sector and national security. To impact all societal sectors, semiconductor manufacturing must develop techniques that circumvent the current technological and economical constraints. This project utilizes laser printing for low-cost manufacturing of optoelectronic devices under ambient conditions. A solvent-free, environmental-friendly technique, which is scalable at technologically meaningful levels, could provide for broader development and an alternative path for the Internet of Things (IoT). The main focus is the processing of metal halide perovskite devices, but the methods developed will be applicable to other thin-film technologies, thus enhancing the impact. As laser printed devices mature enough to enter the marketplace, there will be a rising need for highly skilled workers who can implement this technology. This project will provide a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment for training undergraduate and graduate students which prepares them for joining the global workforce. The project creates and nurtures a culture of inclusive excellence which will enhance the scientific literacy of the general public. The goal of this project is to develop the fundamental understanding of perovskite film formation using laser printing and to apply it towards the development of manufacturing protocols for high performance optoelectronic devices. This method is expected to provide an alternative method to process electronic devices and to enable wide-spread applications that are currently not possible. This could potentially advance industries where traditional electronics are not applicable or would be cost-prohibitive. The project will combine materials processing, advanced spectroscopy and device physics to develop perovskite thin films with electrical, electronic and optical properties similar or superior to those obtained via other deposition methods with high spatial uniformity over large areas. The understanding developed over the film deposition and processing will allow for the extension of the method to other materials systems. The films will be incorporated in proof-of-concept devices (transistors, photodetectors, photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes) fabricated on flexible substrates. Successful completion of these objectives will generate detailed knowledge on the key processes and mechanisms involved in film formation using this manufacturing method. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.