IP Library Granted Patent US 12,595,545
Granted Patent B2
US 12,595,545 · App. 18/906,018 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Methods for perovskite device processing by vapor transport deposition

Inventors: Le Chen (Fremont, CA); David Ho (Cupertino, CA); Xiaoping Li (San Jose, CA); Rick Powell (Ann Arbor, MI); Tze-Bin Song (Fremont, CA); Vera Steinmann (Menlo Park, CA); Aravamuthan Varadarajan (Fremont, CA); Dirk Weiss (Corvallis, OR); Gang Xiong (Santa Clara, CA); Zhibo Zhao (Novi, MI)
Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
C23C14/0694C23C14/228C23C14/50C23C14/5806H01G9/0036H01G9/2009H10K30/40H10K30/50H10K30/82H10K71/164H10K85/30H10K85/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,595,545
App. No.
18/906,018
Granted
Apr 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Structures and methods for manufacturing photovoltaic devices by forming perovskite layers and perovskite precursor layers using vapor transport deposition (VTD) are described.

Claims (27)

1 . An intermediate structure for a perovskite photovoltaic device, comprising:

a substrate stack, comprising a first electrode over a substrate, and a first charge transport layer over the first electrode; and

a precursor layer over the first charge transport layer; wherein:

the precursor layer has a thickness in a range of 100 nm to 2000 nm, and

the precursor layer comprises a plurality of metal halide crystal grain structures, wherein the crystal grain structures have a grain height, normal to a surface of the substrate stack, and a grain width, parallel to the surface of the substrate stack, and an average grain width is less than a third of an average grain height.

2 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metal halide crystal grain structures comprise at least one of: lead iodide (PbI 2 ), cesium iodide (CsI), lead bromide (PbBr 2 ), cesium bromide (CsBr), cesium lead iodide (CsPbI 3 ), cesium tin iodide (CsSnI 3 ), lead chloride (PbCl 2 ), tin iodide (SnI 2 ), tin bromide (SnBr 2 ), and/or tin chloride (SnCl 2 ).

3 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metal halide crystal grain structures comprise lead iodide.

4 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metal halide crystal grain structures form a crystal matrix having a porosity in a range from 35% to 65%.

5 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein 30-100% of the the plurality of metal halide crystal grain structures have a size with at least one dimension in a range of 200 nm to 800 nm.

6 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein at least a quarter of the the plurality of metal halide crystal grain structures of the precursor layer have a grain height that is in a range of 200 nm to 700 nm.

7 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein the precursor layer has a thickness in a range of 200 nm to 1500 nm.

8 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein the precursor layer has a thickness in a range of 300 nm to 1200 nm, and a thickness deviation within the precursor layer is less than 30%.

9 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein a width of the substrate stack is in a range of 0.5 m to 2.0 m.

10 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein first charge transport layer is an electron transport layer (ETL).

11 . An intermediate structure for a perovskite photovoltaic device, comprising:

a substrate stack, comprising a first electrode over a substrate, and a first charge transport layer over the first electrode; and

a precursor layer over the first charge transport layer, wherein:

the precursor layer comprises a plurality of metal halide crystalline grains, and

30-100% of the metal halide crystalline grains have at least one dimension in a range of 200-800 nm.

12 . The intermediate structure of claim 11 , wherein:

the plurality of metal halide crystalline grains comprise at least one of: lead iodide (PbI 2 ), cesium iodide (CsI), lead bromide (PbBr 2 ), cesium bromide (CsBr), cesium lead iodide (CsPbI 3 ), cesium tin iodide (CsSnI 3 ), lead chloride (PbCl 2 ), tin iodide (SnI 2 ), tin bromide (SnBr 2 ), and/or tin chloride (SnCl 2 ); and

the plurality of metal halide crystalline grains comprise crystal grain structures having a grain height, normal to a surface of the substrate stack, and a grain width, parallel to the surface of the substrate stack, wherein at least a quarter of the grain structures of the precursor layer have a grain height that is in a range of 200 nm to 700 nm and a grain width that is less than 100 nm.

13 . The intermediate structure of claim 11 , wherein:

the plurality of metal halide crystalline grains comprise at least one of: PbI 2 , CsI, PbBr 2 , CsBr, CsPbI 3 , CsSnI 3 , PbCl 2 , SnI 2 , SnBr 2 , and/or SnCl 2 ; and

the plurality of metal halide crystalline grains comprise crystal grain structures having a grain height, normal to a surface of the substrate stack, and a grain width, parallel to the surface of the substrate stack, wherein an average grain width is less than a third of an average grain height.

14 . The intermediate structure of claim 11 , wherein the precursor layer has a thickness in a range of 100 nm to 2000 nm, and the plurality of metal halide crystalline grain structures of the precursor layer form a crystal matrix having a porosity in a range from 35% to 65%.

15 . The intermediate structure of claim 11 , wherein the precursor layer has a thickness in a range of 200 nm to 1500 nm.

Assignments (2)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 11, 2025
From: FIRST SOLAR INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 072887/0601 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 16, 2024
From: CHEN, LE; HO, DAVID; LI, XIAOPING; POWELL, RICK; SONG, TZE-BIN; STEINMANN, VERA; VARADARAJAN, ARAVAMUTHAN; WEISS, DIRK; XIONG, GANG; ZHAO, ZHIBO
To: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
Reel/Frame 068917/0718 →