From "solution" to "vacuum":the industrialization of perovskite solar cells

In recent years, perovskite solar cells have garnered significant attention due to their high efficiency and cost-effective potential. However, the most efficient perovskite devices currently available are predominantly fabricated using the solution method, which inherently exhibits limitations in achieving large-area uniformity and long-term stability.

Vacuum deposition technology presents an alternative solution—solvent-free, highly uniform, and scalable. This month, a research team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology published groundbreaking findings in Nature Materials: they developed a multi-source co-evaporation deposition protocol that significantly enhanced the crystal quality of vacuum-deposited perovskite films. This advancement enabled the achievement of 18.35% certified efficiency in all-vacuum single-junction perovskite solar cells, and the fabrication of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells with 27.2% efficiency on a 1 cm² area.

More excitingly, in outdoor tests conducted in Italy, the team's all-vacuum-deposited tandem solar cells maintained approximately 80% of their initial performance after eight months of real-world operation.

What does this mean? It signifies that vacuum deposition technology has evolved from a laboratory contingency measure to a robust solution for manufacturing high-performance, long-life perovskite solar cells, thereby establishing a clear pathway for transitioning technology from the lab to mass production.

From "Ground" to "Space": Vacuum Coating Assists Space Energy

As human exploration extends into the far reaches of space, the 'power-to-weight ratio' of energy systems emerges as a core challenge. The recently completed 'AI Demonstration Line for Space-Environment-Specific Ultra-Thin Flexible Heterojunction (HJT) Solar Cells' by Shanghai Ideal Wanlihui Semiconductor Equipment Company provides an impressive solution.

This demonstration line integrates core equipment modules such as vacuum physical vapor deposition (PVD) and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), which have been validated through mass production. It addresses a series of engineering challenges including automated wafer transfer, low-damage coating, and flexible packaging for ultra-thin silicon wafers, providing a proven and reliable technical solution for specialized applications like spacecraft and stratospheric platforms.

From "coarse adjustment" to "fine adjustment": Vacuum Flywheel Reshaping Power Grid Stability

As renewable energy sources like wind and solar power grow in proportion, the grid faces mounting stability challenges. In Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China's largest pure flywheel energy storage facility is nearing completion. This cutting-edge project features 32 individual flywheels, each weighing nearly 30 tons. These massive gyroscopes spin at high speed in near-vacuum conditions, operating with minimal energy loss through magnetic levitation technology.

The key advantage of flywheel energy storage is its millisecond-level rapid response—when the grid frequency experiences minor deviations, it can instantly release or absorb energy to precisely restore the frequency to normal levels. This leap from "coarse adjustment" to "fine-tuning" serves as the "stabilizer" for modern grids to cope with the volatility of renewable energy.

From "Surface" to "Deep": Unlocking the Potential of Geothermal Energy by Vacuum Insulation

In Groß Schonebeck, Brandenburg, Germany, an innovative geothermal technology is set to be implemented. Green Therma's DualVac technology utilizes a coaxial well design with continuous vacuum insulation, enabling efficient extraction of geothermal resources from depths exceeding 3 kilometers while minimizing heat loss.