Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Developed a modified near-infrared annealing (NIRA) system that achieves rapid and homogeneous crystallization of perovskite films within 20 seconds, drastically reducing processing time compared to conventional hot plate annealing (HPA). • The incorporation of excess PbI2 promotes consistent nucleation, enabling high-quality crystallization with performance surpassing that of HPA-based films. • Fully blade-coated perovskite solar modules achieved remarkable efficiencies of 22.03% (6×6 cm2, active area 18 cm2) and 20.18% (10×10 cm2, active area 56 cm2). • This work demonstrates the first successful homogeneous and high-quality crystallization in large-area perovskite films via rapid NIRA, significantly reducing energy consumption and manufacturing cycle, paving the way for commercial-scale production.
Abstract
Currently, perovskite solar cells have achieved commendable progresses in power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operational stability. However, some conventional laboratory-scale fabrication methods become challenging when scaling up material syntheses or device production. Particularly, the prolonged high-temperature annealing process for the crystallization of perovskites requires a substantial amount of energy consumption and impact the modules’ throughput. Here, we report a modified near-infrared annealing (NIRA) process, which involves the excess PbI2 engineered crystallization, efficiently reduces the preparation time for perovskite active layer to within 20 s compared to dozens of min in conventional hot plate annealing (HPA) process. The study showed that the incorporated PbI2 promoted the consistent nucleation of the perovskite film, leading to the subsequent rapid and homogeneous crystallization at the NIRA stage. Thus, highly crystalized perovskite film was realized with even better crystallization performance than conventional HPA-based film. Ultimately, efficient perovskite solar modules of 36 and 100 cm2 were readily fabricated with the optimal PCEs of 22.03% and 20.18%, respectively. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the successful achievement of homogeneous and high-quality crystallization in large-area perovskite films through rapid NIRA processing. This approach not only significantly reduces energy consumption during production, but also substantially shortens the manufacturing cycle, paving a new path toward the commercial-scale application of perovskite solar modules.
1. Introduction
The lead halide perovskites have emerged as promising candidates for efficient and cost-effective photovoltaic material [1–3]. Currently, the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has gained significant momentum in the renewable energy sector [4, 5]. However, for large-area perovskite film fabrication, following the rapid solvent removal achieved through vacuum-flash evaporation or air-knife assisted techniques, thermal annealing must be precisely controlled for the final high-quality and uniform crystallization. The conventional thermal annealing process has drawn significant concern due to its time-consuming nature, expensive equipment requirements, and high energy consumption, which is the key bottleneck for large-scale preparation and throughput. Almost all high-performance PSCs with power conversion efficiencies exceeding 22% heavily rely on the conventional heat conduction method at temperatures > 100 °C for over 10 min. While, when scaling up the perovskite solar modules (PSMs) toward the industrialization, this process generally based on hot-plates become more and more difficult to implement for the controllable homogeneous crystallization besides energy and time consumptions [6, 7].
Reports have presented alternative techniques, such as microwave radiation annealing (MAP), intense pulse annealing (IAP) or near-infrared radiation annealing (NIRA), to facilitate the rapid preparation of perovskite thin films within seconds to minutes [8–10]. Among them, the NIRA annealing, typically utilizing near-infrared light with wavelengths ranging from 780 to 1400 nm, exhibits promising in enhancing the efficiency of energy transfer due to its simultaneous utilization of multiple heat transfer pathways including heat conduction, radiation and convection. This technology was pioneered by Watson et al. in 2015 to prepare a perovskite solar cell in an area of 0.1 cm2 with the efficiency of 10.7% by reducing the film annealing time to 2.5 s [11]. Subsequently, in 2019, Sandy Sanchez et al. further reduced the preparation time of perovskite films to 1.2 s through infrared fast heat treatment process combined with spin coating technology, and successfully prepared a perovskite single cell (aperture area of ...
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Qing Chang, Peng He, Haosong Huang, Yingchen Peng, Xiao Han, Yang Shen, Jun Yin, Zhengjing Zhao, Ye Yang, Binghui Wu, Zhiguo Zhao, Jing Li, Nanfeng Zheng (2025). Modified Near-Infrared Annealing Enabled Rapid and Homogeneous Crystallization of Perovskite Films for Efficient Solar Modules. Nano-Micro Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01792-3
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main innovation of this paper?
The paper introduces a modified near-infrared annealing (NIRA) process that enables rapid and homogeneous crystallization of perovskite films within 20 seconds, significantly reducing processing time and energy consumption compared to conventional hot plate annealing.
How does the NIRA process achieve rapid crystallization?
The NIRA process utilizes near-infrared light (780-1400 nm) which provides multiple heat transfer pathways (conduction, radiation, convection) for efficient energy transfer. The incorporation of excess PbI2 promotes consistent nucleation, leading to rapid and homogeneous crystallization.
What efficiencies were achieved for perovskite solar modules?
The fully blade-coated perovskite solar modules achieved efficiencies of 22.03% for a 6×6 cm2 module (active area 18 cm2) and 20.18% for a 10×10 cm2 module (active area 56 cm2).
What are the advantages of NIRA over conventional annealing?
NIRA reduces the annealing time from dozens of minutes to under 20 seconds, lowers energy consumption, and enables homogeneous crystallization over large areas, which is crucial for commercial-scale production.
What is the significance of this work for perovskite solar cell commercialization?
This work demonstrates a scalable, rapid annealing method that maintains high efficiency and quality, addressing key bottlenecks in throughput and energy use, thus paving the way for industrial production of perovskite solar modules.
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