SBIR Phase I: Perovskite photovoltaics for indoor power supply applications

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the enabling the expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) through new functions and applications requiring greater wires-free power than available by battery. IoT is an ever-widening array of everyday objects interconnected via the Internet and transforming the way we live and work. "Smart devices" inter-networking in homes, businesses, vehicles, public spaces and elsewhere are an essential driver of the big data revolution, enabling innumerable societal benefits such as improved efficiencies, assure safety, and increase productivity. The growth of IoT devices has been enabled by the miniaturization, modularization, and cost reduction of common chipsets as well as increased intelligence in low-power consumption. IoT products that utilize existing wired power - e.g. smart lights, TVs, speakers, thermostats, security cameras, personal digital assistants, etc. - have dominated the market. Increasingly, however, stand-alone battery-powered IoT devices are gaining traction; but while battery technology is improving, the cost, complexity and downtime of battery replacement and/or recharging are major constraints. This project aims to develop a new type of indoor light harvesting technology capable of efficiently converting ambient indoor light into the electrical energy needed to power wire-free IoT products. The proposed project aims to demonstrate and develop perovskite PV technology with the efficiency, uniformity, and durability needed for high-impact indoor IoT applications. Visible light is the most ubiquitous ambient power source available in places where humans live, work and gather, but existing light harvesting methods - e.g. crystalline and amorphous silicon PV cells - do not efficiently convert typical indoor light to electricity. For example, state-of-the-art amorphous silicon cells give only 3.6-7% efficiency under typical indoor lighting conditions. In order to enable new IoT products, a photovoltaic material that operates above 30% efficiency under a range of indoor lighting conditions is needed to unlock new levels of power available for sensors and communications that batteries may not easily supply. This project will demonstrate cell designs, film deposition and processing techniques needed to fabricate high-efficiency perovskite PV and to scale perovskite PV from university laboratory sizes to commercial IoT product sizes.