LED

While quasi-2D perovskites made with organic spacers co-crystallized with inorganic cesium lead bromide can enable near unity photoluminescence quantum yield at room temperature, LEDs made with such quasi-2D perovskites tend to degrade rapidly - which remains a major bottleneck in this field.

Now, researchers from SUNY University at Buffalo, Texas A&M University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Missouri University of Science and Technology, National Taiwan University and Yonsei University have shown that the bright emission originates from finely tuned multi-component 2D nano-crystalline phases that are thermodynamically unstable.

Researchers from Sweden's Linköping University, China's Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Hunan University and Jilin University have demonstrated bright perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) with a peak radiance of 2409 W sr⁻¹ m⁻² and negligible current-efficiency roll-off, maintaining high external quantum efficiency over 20% even at current densities as high as 2270 mA cm⁻². 

Device configuration and cross-sectional SEM image of the PeLED. Image from: Nature Communications

One of the key advantages of perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) is their potential to achieve high performance at much higher current densities compared to conventional solution-processed emitters. However, state-of-the-art PeLEDs have not yet reached this potential, often suffering from severe current-efficiency roll-off under intensive electrical excitations. The team's new work hopes to help tackle this obstacle. 

Miniaturizing LEDs is crucial for creating ultra-high-resolution displays. Metal-halide perovskites show potential for efficient light emission, long-distance carrier transport, and scalable production of bright micro-LED displays. However, current thin-film perovskites face issues with uneven light emission and surface instability during lithography, making them unsuitable for micro-LED devices. There's a strong need for continuous single-crystal perovskite films with minimal grain boundaries, stable surfaces, and uniform optical properties for micro-LEDs. Yet, growing these films and integrating them into devices remains a challenge.

Remote epitaxial crystalline perovskites for ultrahigh resolution micro-LED displays. Image credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Recently, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China and Jilin University made significant progress in this field. The team developed a novel method for the remote epitaxial growth of continuous crystalline perovskite thin films, that allows for seamless integration into ultrahigh-resolution micro-LEDs with pixels less than 5 μm.

When it comes to innovation in advanced materials, Solaveni GmbH stands out as a company with a bold mission. Founded in 2021 as a subsidiary of Saule Technologies, Solaveni was created with a vision to revolutionize the world of perovskite-based materials by focusing on sustainable chemistry and environmental responsibility. Today, the company is carving out a space in fields like printed electronics, energy harvesting, storage, and solid-state lighting, all while ensuring its processes remain green and future-ready.

At the heart of Solaveni’s journey is its CEO, Dr. Senol Öz, whose expertise and passion for perovskite technology have been key to the company’s progress. Senol’s career spans over a decade of research and hands-on experience in solution-processing and chemical engineering of perovskite solar cells. From his doctoral work in Germany, to his postdoctoral research in Japan, and eventually joining Saule Technologies, his path has been defined by a deep commitment to advancing perovskite materials.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Senol for an insightful Q&A, where he shared his thoughts on Solaveni’s vision, the challenges of perovskite technology, and the future of sustainable material production. Let’s dive into the conversation!

Solaveni was established in 2021 as a subsidiary of Saule Technologies, one of the pioneers in the perovskite solar industry. Why did Saule decide to establish a materials subsidiary?

Saule Technologies, a trailblazer in the perovskite solar industry, founded Solaveni in 2021 to address the burgeoning demand for high-quality, innovative materials critical to advancing solar technology. The establishment of Solaveni reflects Saule’s strategic vision to enhance and diversify its capabilities within the renewable energy sector. By creating a specialized subsidiary, Saule aims to streamline the development and production of materials relevant for the perovskite ecosystem, ensuring consistent quality and fostering innovation.

Sofab Inks develops and produces advanced materials for perovskite solar cells. The company's flagship product is a solvent-based tin oxide ETL  that has already seen promising results in improving the performance and lifespan of perovskite solar cells. We interviewed the company's CEO Blake Martin and COO Jack Manzella, who help us understand the company's materials and business better. Click here to contact Sofab Inks to learn more or request a material sample.

Hello Blake and Jack. Earlier this year, Sofab Inks launched Tinfab, a high-performance and low-cost ETL material for perovskite solar cells. Can you detail the market reaction for your new material, and also the performance benefits that one can expect from this new ETL?

Since launching Tinfab, we’ve experienced significant interest across the industry, with approximately 40 companies and universities currently testing the material in perovskite solar cell applications. This strong engagement underscores the market's demand for innovative, scalable ETL solutions.

Tinfab is designed to fully replace C60/fullerenes in perovskite solar cells, addressing key limitations of C60, including lower stability, higher costs, and the complexity of vacuum deposition. Unlike C60, Tinfab can be solution-deposited in ambient environments, making it far more suitable for scalable manufacturing.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Center for Hybrid Organic Inorganic Semiconductors for Energy (CHOISE), an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Colorado Boulder, Duke University and University of Utah have discovered a new process to induce chirality in halide perovskite semiconductors, which could open the door to cutting-edge electronic applications.

The development is the latest in a series of advancements made by the team involving the introduction and control of chirality. Chirality refers to a structure that cannot be superimposed on its mirror image, such as a hand, and allows greater control of electrons by directing their “spin.” Most traditional optoelectronic devices in use today exploit control of charge and light but not the spin of the electron.

Researchers at North Carolina State University and Brookhaven National Laboratory have reported a technique for engineering layered hybrid perovskites (LHPs) down to the atomic level, which enables precise control on how the materials convert electrical charge into light. 

Image credit: Matter

The technique opens the door to engineering materials tailored for use in next-generation printed LEDs, lasers and photovoltaic devices.

Soochow University researchers have proposed the in situ treatment of Cl-rich benzene phosphorus oxydichloride (BPOD)as a way to achieve high-quality pure-blue perovskites, by simultaneously enlarging the perovskite bandgap, passivating the halide vacancy defects, and immobilizing the halide ions through the hydrolysis products of chloride ions and phenylphosphonic acid. 

The background for this work is that despite the substantial progress in sky-blue (480−495 nm) perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs), pure-blue PeLEDs (<480 nm) merely show moderate performances. Bromide-chloride mixed perovskites may have potential to enable a straightforward and effective way to obtain pure-blue emission, but the tricky issue of halide migration in mixed halide perovskites makes it challenging to achieve efficient PeLEDs with stable electroluminescence (EL) spectra. 

A team of researchers, led by Professor David Di from the International College of Zhejiang University and the School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, recently achieved a continuous transition from n-type to p-type perovskite semiconductors through molecular doping, while maintaining extremely high luminescence performance. 

Image credit: Zhejiang University

Based on controllable doping, the team developed a perovskite LED with a simple structure and reported a record for the highest brightness of solution-based LEDs, reaching 1.16 million nits.

Researchers from Seoul National University, University of Pennsylvania, Weizmann Institute of Science and Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) recently reported an advancement in the development of ultra-high efficiency perovskite nanocrystal light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Their work involved reinforcing the perovskite lattice and mitigating the material's natural low-frequency dynamics. 

The team identified a critical challenge in the reduction of luminescence efficiency due to the ionic nature of perovskite. The weak ionic bonds in perovskite materials can cause large-amplitude displacement of atoms within the crystal lattice, resulting in dynamic disorder that interferes with the radiative recombination process, leading to exciton dissociation and decreased luminescence efficiency. Addressing this issue, however, has been underexplored until now. The team proposed a novel mechanism to enhance the luminescence efficiency of perovskite emitters by incorporating conjugated molecular multipods (CMMs). These CMMs bind to the perovskite lattice, strengthening it and reducing dynamic disorder, which in turn improves the luminescence efficiency.