Development of a roll-to-roll high-speed laser micro processing machine for preparing through-holed anodes and cathodes of lithium-ion batteries

Aiming to improve the battery performance of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),modification of the cathodes and anodes of LIBs using laser beams to prepare through-holes,non-through-holes or ditches arranged in grid and line patterns has been proposed by many researchers and engineers.In this study,a laser processing system attached to rollers,which realizes this modification without large changes in the present mass-production system,was developed.The laser system apparatus comprises roll-to-roll equipment and laser equipment.The roll-to-roll equipment mainly consists of a hollow cylinder with openings on its circumferential surface.Cathode and anode electrodes for LIBs are wound around the cylinder in the longitudinal direction of the electrodes.A pulsed beam reflected from the central axis of the cylinder can continuously open a large number of through-holes in the thin electrodes.Through-holes were formed at a rate of 100000 holes per second on lithium iron phosphate cathodes and graphite anodes with this system.The through-holed cathodes and anodes prepared with this system exhibited higher C-rate performance than nontreated cathodes and anodes.

Review of roll-to-roll fabrication techniques for colloidal quantum dot solar cells

Colloidal quantum dots(CQDs)are of great interest to photovoltaic(PV)technologies as they possess the benefits of solution-processability,size-tunability,and roll-to-roll manufacturability,as well as unique capabilities to harvest near-infrared(NIR)radiation.During the last decade,lab-scale CQD solar cells have achieved rapid improvement in the power conversion efficiency(PCE)from~1%to 18%,which will potentially exceed 20%in the next few years and approach the performance of other PV technologies,such as perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells.In the meanwhile,CQD solar cells exhibit long lifetimes either under shelf storage or continuous operation,making them highly attractive to industry.However,in order to meet the industrial requirements,mass production techniques are necessary to scale up the fabrication of those lab devices into large-area PV modules,such as roll-to-toll coating.This paper reviews the recent developments of large-area CQD solar cells with a focus on various fabrication methods and their principles.It covers the progress of typical large-area coating techniques,including spray coating,blade coating,dip coating,and slot-die coating.It also discusses next steps and new strategies to accomplish the ultimate goal of the low-cost large-area fabrication of CQD solar cells and emphasizes how artificial intelligence or machine learning could facilitate the developments of CQD solar cell research.

Web Tension Regulation of Multispan Roll-to-Roll System using Integrated Active Dancer and Load Cells for Printed Electronics Applications

The mass production of primed electronics can be achieved by roll-to-roll（R2R） printing system, so highly accurate web tension is required that can minimize the register error and keep the thickness and roughness of printed devices in limits. The web tension of a R2R system is regulated by the use of integrated load cells and active dancer system for printed electronics applications using decentralized multi-input-single-output（MISO） regularized variable learning rate backpropagation artificial neural networks. The active dancer system is used before printing system to reduce disturbances in the web tension of process span. The classical PID control result in tension spikes with the change in roll diameter of winder and unwinder rolls. The presence of dancer in R2R system shows that improved web tension control in printing span and the web tension can be enhanced from 3.75 N to 4.75 N. The overshoot of system is less than ±2.5 N and steady state error is within ± 1 N where load cells have a signal noise of ±0.7 N. The integration of load cells and active dancer with self-adapting neural network control provide a solution to the web tension control of multispan roll-to-roll system.

Double sided roll-to-roll manufacture of flexible display panels

A double sided roll-to-roll(R2R) system has been developed by the authors to automate the continuous manufacturing of flexible display panels.Here we report an overview of the system operation and the fabrication process.The system framework features a timer initiated slot-die coating followed by wet lamination to form a thin,active layer in between flexible conductive substrates.A rotary screen-printing unit is installed for adhesive deposition providing an edge seal for the panel.The system enables production of 15-cm^2 laminated panels.

Graphene-Polymer Nanocomposites and Roll-to-Roll (R2R) Compatible Flexible Solid-State Supercapacitor Based on Graphene Nanoplatelets and Ionic Liquid-Polymer Gel

We present the electrical and supercapacitive performance of graphene nanoplatelets in polymer nanocomposites and flexible solid state electrical double layer capacitors (EDLC) respectively. Graphene-doped poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and glass exhibited transmittance above 95% and electrical conductivity of 2.70 × 10ˉ1 S·cmˉ1 and 9.01 × 10ˉ1 S·cmˉ1 respectively. Graphene loaded polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS) nanocomposites showed electrical conductivity as high as 2.11 × 10ˉ1 S·cmˉ1 at low loadings of 2 wt%. The use of graphene was necessitated by the need to increase the EDLC capacitance and energy density since it provides high effective surface area. The polymer gel membrane made from polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-co-HFP) and the Ionic Liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate exhibited high porosity which made it suitable for use as separator in the EDLC. The highest recorded specific capacitance was 133.82 F/g which can be attributed to the porosity of the IL containing PVDF-co-HFP membrane and the large surface area of the graphene electrodes. At an operating voltage of 3.5 V the energy density was found to be 56.92 Wh·Kgˉ1. All chemicals were research grade and were obtained from Sigma Aldrich.

Fully Roll‑to‑Roll Processed Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells via Precise Control on the Morphology of PbI_(2):CsI Layer

Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have attracted tremendous attention as a promising alternative candidate for clean energy generation.Many attempts have been made with various deposition techniques to scale-up manufacturing.Slot-die coating is a robust and facile deposition technique that can be applied in large-area roll-to-roll(R2R)fabrication of thin film solar cells with the advantages of high material utilization,low cost and high throughput.Herein,we demonstrate the encouraging result of PSCs prepared by slot-die coating under ambient environment using a twostep sequential process whereby PbI_(2):CsI is slot-die coated first followed by a subsequent slot-die coating of organic cations containing solution.A porous PbI_(2):CsI film can promote the rapid and complete transformation into perovskite film.The crystallinity and morphology of perovskite films are significantly improved by optimizing nitrogen blowing and controlling substrate temperature.A power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 18.13%is achieved,which is promising for PSCs fabricated by two-step fully slot-die-coated devices.Furthermore,PSCs with a 1 cm2 area yield a champion PCE of 15.10%.Moreover,a PCE of 13.00%is obtained on a flexible substrate by the roll-to-roll(R2R)coating,which is one of the highest reported cells with all layers except for metal electrode fabricated by R2R process under ambient condition.

Recent advances of flexible perovskite solar cells

In few years only, the efficiency record of perovskite solar cells（PSCs） has raised quickly from 3.8% to over 22%. This emerging photovoltaic technology has primarily shown its great potential of industrialization. Flexible PSCs are thought to be one of the most priority options for mass production, related to the intrinsic advantage of perovskite thin films which could be deposited by facile solution processes at low temperature. Flexible PSCs have at least four advantages in comparison to the rigid counterpart：（1） it can generate higher power output at lighter weight,（2） it is easily portable,（3） it can be easily attached to architectures or textiles with diverse shapes, and（4） it is compatible with roll-to-roll fabrication in a large scale. In this review, we have summarized recent development of the key materials and technologies applied in flexible PSCs. The key materials including flexible substrates, transparent and conductive electrodes, and interfacial materials; some key technologies about roll-to-roll manufacture, encapsulation technology have been overviewed. Finally, a prospect on possible application directions of flexible PSCs has been discussed.

Recent Advances in Printed Thin-Film Batteries

The rapidly increasing demand for wearable electronic devices has motivated research in low-cost and flexible printed batteries with diverse form factors and architectures.In the past,technological achieve-ments in the field have been emphasized,overlooking the industrial and market requirements.However,different applications require different battery chemistries and formats,that greatly impacts the manu-facturing process and competition landscape.These chemistries and formats should therefore be selected carefully to maximize the chances for commercial success.As some of these technologies are starting to be marketed for portable electronics,there is a pressing need to evaluate different printing technologies and compare them in terms of the processing constraints and product requirements of specific electronic devices.By evaluating the intrinsic strengths and current limitations of printed battery technologies,development pathways can be prioritized,and potential bottlenecks can be overcome to accelerate the path to market.

Fast scanning growth of high-quality graphene films on Cu foils fueled by dimeric carbon precursor

Carbon source precursor is a critical factor governing chemical vapor deposition growth of graphene films.Methane(CH4),has been the most commonly used precursor in the last decade,but it presents challenges in terms of decomposition efficiency and growth rate.Here we thoroughly evaluated acetylene(C2H_(2)),a precursor that is probably for providing carbon dimer(C2)species,for fast growth of large-scale graphene films.We find that the graphene growth behaviors fueled by C2H_(2) exhibit unconventional localized growth behavior with significant advantages in terms of high growth rate,which mainly ascribe to the as-decomposed C2 species.Therefore,a C2-fueled scanning growth strategy is proposed,and the fast scanning growth rate of 40 cm/min was experimentally demonstrated.This growth strategy is compatible with the approach of unidirectional growth of single-crystal graphene films,and the as-grown graphene films are of high-quality.This work demonstrates a reliable and promising strategy for the rapid synthesis of high-quality graphene film and may pave the avenue to cost-effective mass production of graphene materials in the roll-to-roll system.

Enhancing the efficiency and scalability of perovskite solar cells through pseudo-halide salt addition

Organic-inorganic halide perovskites have significant potential for application in next-generation solar cells.However,their applications are limited by challenges associated with large-area processability and long-term stability owing to the presence of pinholes and defect sites.Here,we incorporated cesium formate in a perovskite active layer using a sequential perovskite fabrication process to eliminate the defect sites of perovskites and improve the film processability via roll-to-roll(R2R)processing.The addition of cesium formate salt to the PbI2 layer influences the perovskite crystal formation behavior as well as increases the perovskite crystallinity and decreases the defect density.Furthermore,cesium formate addition eliminated small PbI2 grains and smoothed the perovskite surface,resulting in a large crystal grain size.The formate ions interact with the PbI2 component and passivate halide vacancy defects,reducing nonradiative recombination and improving charge transfer.Additionally,the treated perovskite films were highly stable in air,exhibiting improved efficiency retention over time and achieving a power conversion efficiency(PCE)of>22%compared to the control.Furthermore,the additive-treated perovskite film was processed using the R2R method,achieving a high PCE of>14%with minimal hysteresis.