Function:              Internship

Contract:              Internship agreement

Starting date:      March 2027

Duration:               6 months

Workplace:           IPVF – 18 bd Thomas Gobert, 91120 Palaiseau (France)

Education:             M2 or Engineering school in material science, chemistry

Ref.:                         PR-F-L-1-ST 

IPVF – Institut Photovoltaïque d’Île-de-France

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.

CONTEXT

IPVF is seeking a motivated M2 intern to contribute to the development of high-performance halide perovskite solar devices through ink formulation, additive engineering, and scalable thin-film deposition techniques.

Halide perovskites have attracted significant attention in the photovoltaic community due to their outstanding optoelectronic properties, high power conversion efficiencies and potential for low-cost manufacturing. Their integration with established silicon photovoltaic technologies offers promising opportunities for next-generation tandem solar cells with efficiencies beyond conventional single-junction devices. However, achieving high efficiency, long-term stability, and reproducible large-area fabrication remains a major challenge for industrial commercialization. At IPVF, ongoing research focuses on bridging laboratory-scale developments and industrially relevant manufacturing processes. In particular, open-air slot-die coating represents a promising, cost-effective, and scalable deposition technique for fabricating perovskite thin films without relying on controlled inert atmospheres. Nevertheless, controlling crystallization, film uniformity, defect formation, and phase stability under ambient conditions requires further optimization of perovskite precursor compositions and ink formulations.

This internship will focus on additive and composition engineering of wide-bandgap perovskites, exploring novel additives to regulate crystallization pathways, improve film quality, and enhance optoelectronic properties. The experimental activities will involve precursor ink preparation, open-air slot-die coating, structural and optoelectronic characterization, and photovoltaic device fabrication. The optimized formulations will be investigated for their potential integration into high-efficiency semi-transparent solar cells, large-area minimodules, and perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaic devices. This research aligns with IPVF’s long-term objectives of developing reliable, scalable, and industrially compatible perovskite photovoltaic technologies, contributing to the advancement of next-generation solar energy applications.

MAIN MISSIONS 

The main objective of this internship is to develop and optimize wide-bandgap perovskite compositions and additive-assisted ink formulations suitable for scalable open-air slot-die coating. The specific objectives include:

– Composition and additive optimization: Investigate novel additives to control perovskite crystallization, phase stability, and defect formation.

– Ink formulation and thin-film deposition: Optimize precursor formulations and open-air slot-die coating parameters to obtain uniform, reproducible, and high-quality perovskite thin films.

– Material characterization: Study the structural, morphological, and optoelectronic properties of optimized films using XRD, SEM, AFM, UV–Vis, Hyperspectral PL, and related techniques.

– Photovoltaic device development: Fabricate and characterize perovskite solar cells to evaluate the influence of additives and composition on photovoltaic performance and stability.

– Scalability and device integration: Assess the suitability of optimized formulations for semi-transparent solar cells, large-area minimodule photovoltaic applications.

– Generation of experimental data and scientific findings to support IPVF’s ongoing research activities, presentations, future publications.

Candidate profile

– Familiarity with scientific data processing and analysis software (OriginLab, Excel, Python, etc.).