Power Roll Ltd. and the University of Sheffield Develop Flexible & High-Efficiency Solar Cells

Our partners, Power Roll Ltd. and Dr. David Lidzey’s team at the University of Sheffield have developed a flexible, high-efficiency perovskite solar cell that could revolutionize solar energy deployment.

Using a microgroove design on plastic film, their solar cells are lightweight, cost-effective, and adaptable to unconventional surfaces, making them ideal for rooftops and emerging markets. Unlike traditional solar panels, this design features back-contact technology, simplifying manufacturing while enhancing efficiency.

Their research relied on precise thin-film deposition, enabled by our Angstrom vacuum coater with e-beam and thermal sources. This ensured uniform, high-purity perovskite layers, critical for performance and stability. Advanced X-ray nanoprobe microscopy at Diamond Light Source further optimized material properties.

With over a decade of collaboration, Power Roll and the University of Sheffield are driving the future of sustainable solar technology. We’re proud to support their journey with our deposition solutions, advancing the global transition to clean energy.

Read the full article on The University of Sheffield website.

Image Credit: The University of Sheffield 

Having arrived in Brazil, our partner’s logistics team takes the lead, taking it out of the wooden box so that it can fit through the door of the facility. The journey resulted in the standard small bumps and dents that are categorized and logged so that our installation team can quickly and effectively get the system up and running, which they do.

Finally, all that’s left to do is to fabricate some superconducting circuits, and further the field of quantum computing. Our partners at Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas (CBPF) expressed their excitement at having gained the capabilities  of partnering with us in this translated LinkedIn post:

 

It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the arrival of the newest equipment, from Angstrom Engineering, to the Quantum Technologies Laboratory of CBPF. This laboratory is complementary to Labnano, one of the strategic laboratories of SisNANO – the National System of Nanotechnology Laboratories of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI).

SisNANO is comprised of a set of laboratories focused on research, development and innovation (RD&I) in nanosciences and nanotechnologies, with the essential characteristic of being multi-user and open access to public and private institutions.

Acquired with funding from Finep and support from MCTI, the new equipment will allow CBPF to advance in the manufacture of superconducting quantum nanodevices, such as Josephson junctions and SQUIDS. These devices are essential for the development of future quantum chips, which promise to transform areas such as computing, secure communication and metrology.

The impact of this advance is also connected to related projects funded by FAPERJ, CNPq and Petrobras, consolidating a robust research ecosystem in Brazil.

This achievement reinforces the commitment of CBPF and MCTI to leading the frontier of scientific research, contributing to enabling the country to compete in a global scenario marked by disruptive and strategic advances.

We would like to thank the institutions involved and the professionals who made this achievement possible. We invite the scientific, technological and industrial community to closely monitor the transformative results that this new infrastructure will provide.

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