OSU scientists find inkjet technology for solar cells

Enlarge Image

Research from Oregon State University takes inkjet printing technology and applies it to thin-film solar cells.

Oregon State University researchers have found a way to apply the principles of inkjet printing to the manufacture of thin-film solar cells.

Scientists behind the research have applied for a patent on the discovery, which was published in trade journal Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells.

Just as inkjet printers brought low-cost, high-quality printing to small offices, researchers say the application of inkjet technology to the solar industry could be a significant advance.

OSU scientists led by Chih-hung Chang used inkjet printing to create thin-film solar devices in a process that reduced waste by a whopping 90 percent and lowered the overall cost while improving performance. The resulting devices are known in the industry as "CIGS," a combination of copper, indium, gallium and selenium.

“Some of the materials we want to work with for the most advanced solar cells, such as indium, are relatively expensive,” Chang said in a press release. “If that’s what you’re using you can’t really afford to waste it, and the inkjet approach almost eliminates the waste.”

If initial research holds up, the process could be very attractive to the solar industry.

The inkjet research was supported by the Korean Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, the U.S. Department of Energy and OSU’s University Venture Development Fund.

@SustainableBzOR | christinawilliams@bizjournals.com | 503.219.3438