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Function: Intern H/F
Contract: Internship agreement
Starting date: As of March 15th 2025 (to be defined)
Duration: 6 months
Workplace: IPVF – 18 bd Thomas Gobert, 91120 Palaiseau (France)
Education: Master 2 in Energy / Material Science
Ref.: PR-F-L-1-ST
IPVF is a scientific and technical pole dedicated to the research and development of solar technologies. It permanently hosts its own staff, as well as the employees of its partners and external companies. IPVF aims to become one of the world’s leading centers for research, innovation, and training in the field of energy transition.
IPVF primary objective is to improve the performance and competitiveness of photovoltaic cells and develop breakthrough technologies by relying on four levers:
• Ambitious research program.
• The hosting of more than 200 researchers and their laboratories on its Paris-Saclay site.
• A state-of-the-art technology platform (8,000 m²) open to the photovoltaic industry actors, with more than 100 state-of-the-art equipment units located in clean rooms.
• A training program mainly based on a master’s degree, the supervision of PhD students, and continuing education.
Brief history:
The IPVF was founded in 2013 on the initiative of the French government, EDF, TotalEnergies, Air Liquide, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Horiba and Riber. Bringing together more than 150 researchers, our 8,000 square meter Paris-Saclay platform is a unique platform for all types of deeptech research and innovation.
The IPVF aims to remain:
• A world leader in photovoltaic-related R&D. By federating the best French teams in the field of research, innovation and industrial production, in partnership with major international institutes, particularly in Europe,
• A leader in the development of photovoltaic technology bricks in line with market trends,
• A reference in sending the most promising R&D concepts to the industry.
As part of our pre-industrialization work on perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaic panels, we are looking for a motivated trainee to join our research team and work on the upscaling of perovskite liquid deposition recipes. Organo-metal Halide Perovskite has been receiving significant attention from the photovoltaic community over the last decade, thanks to its excellent properties as an absorber material for solar cells and modules applications. To scale up device fabrication, slot-die coating has been proven as an efficient technique to coat perovskite thin-film over large areas. To prepare the perovskite layer, a perovskite ink combining precursors and solvents is first coated on a substrate using slot-die coater (Step 1), followed by a treatment (Step 2) to partially extract solvent to obtain the intermediate phases, then finalized by a hard annealing (Step 3) to fully crystallize the perovskite. Controlling the intermediate phase is crucial for achieving uniform and high-quality deposition of large-area perovskite films. Various techniques, such as hot-casting, plasma and infrared radiation curing (i.e., radiative annealing), gas quenching, and vacuum quenching, have been utilized to control the crystallization and nucleation of intermediate perovskite. Among these methods, one is particularly effective for producing high-efficiency perovskite films over large areas. These methods remove efficiently solvent in the wet film to obtain the intermediate phases. This technique minimizes damage to the wet precursor film, reducing defects and enhancing surface coverage. This reproducible method is pivotal for achieving uniform perovskite films on large surfaces, highlighting its critical role in advancing nextgeneration device fabrication and optimizing performance for industrial applications. This IPVF internship is hosted by the IPVF program teams dedicated to the development of perovskite/silicon tandem panels and will also be carried out in collaboration with the IPVF platform. |
During the initial stage of the internship, gaining comprehensive knowledge of the setup and functionality of equipment is essential. A key focus should be on optimizing parameters as these significantly impact the formation of intermediate perovskite phases. Fine-tuning these parameters can improve control over crystallization, which is critical for achieving high-quality films. In addition to equipment parameters, the choice of coordinating solvents with different volatilities, and the use of additives in the perovskite ink play a crucial role in perovskite phase nucleation. By carefully matching these solvents and additives with the vacuum quenching process, the crystallization behavior of the perovskite can be better controlled, leading to improved film quality. The candidate will use slot-die coater to coat perovskite thin-films in the atmospheric conditions. Then characterization methods available at IPVF platform will be employed to evaluate the uniformity and reproducibility of the perovskite coated on substrates measuring 5x5cm², 10×10 cm² and 15×15 cm². The candidate will also be involved in the solar cell and module fabrication process. For that, the device integrated the new process is targeted to achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15% on a 64 cm² area and 13% on a larger 196 cm² area, highlighting the effectiveness of this technique in delivering high-efficiency, large-area perovskite devices. |
– Master 2 in Energy / Material Sciences
– Strong experimental and analysis skills
– Previous experience in the manufacture and characterization of solar cells is an advantage.
– Rigorous and independent
– Curiosity, creativity
– Strong team spirit, ability to work on cross-disciplinary issues and with different teams.
– Good written and oral communication skills (English and French).
– Willingness to work in the laboratory
CV and cover letter (with reference PR-F-L-1-ST) to be sent to:
Feel free to contact us for more information about our offers.
+33(0)1 69 86 58 60contact@ipvf.fr
