Inkjet & Digital Printing
Fujifilm Dimatix Technology used for pioneering inkjet solar cell development
Wednesday 02. April 2008 - Fujifilm Dimatix, today announced that its cartridge-based Dimatix Materials Printer (DMP) has been used in the worlds first known demonstration of inkjet technology for manufacturing photovoltaic solar cells, which convert light to energy.
The Dimatix Materials Printer leverages Fujifilm Dimatix industry-leading inkjet technology and shaped Piezo Silicon MEMS fabrication processes in depositing picolitre-sized droplets of functional fluids on all types of surfaces. By employing single-use cartridges that researchers can fill with their own fluid materials, the DMP system minimises waste of expensive fluid materials, eliminating the cost and complexity associated with traditional product development and prototyping.
The use of inkjet technology to make the highly efficient solar energy cells has been called a breakthrough by Konarka Technologies, which began the development and commercialisation of Power Plastic, a material that converts light to energy.
Rick Hess, president and CEO of Konarka, says: “Demonstrating the use of inkjet printing technology as a tool for making highly efficient solar cells and sensors is a major milestone.”
According to Konarka, a recent demonstration confirms that organic solar cells can be processed with printing technologies with little or no loss compared to clean room semi-conductor technologies such as spin coating. Additionally, inkjet technology is highly suitable for manufacturing photovoltaics because it is compatible with various substrates and it does not require additional patterning.