Manufacturing the ultrathin crystalline films used in solar cells as a single crystal is an expensive, complex, and long process, so a cheaper alternative is often used. The technique involves spinning liquids into smooth films, which harden after they are applied to a surface. However, these coated films are inferior as they rarely form a single crystal. Researchers reported last week that they can “supersaturate” these liquids with precursor compounds, so that as they spin, they form multiple crystals that fuse together into one, unbroken crystal. They say this approach could improve light harvesting in perovskite-based solar cells and ramp up the speed and performance of flexible electronic devices, which have a wide range of applications. Other methods of forming single-crystal solar cells are currently being developed by Crystal Solar, Solar-Tectic, and the University of Utah.
