Ultrathin Perovskite Solar Cells with γ-Ray Tolerance Enabled by a Flexible Radiation-Resistant Plastic Substrate
Apr. 23, 2026 | GATEWAY to Academic Articles
JINNO Hiroaki / Department of Spacecraft Engineering, ISAS
A research group led by Assistant Professor Hiroaki Jinno of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science has demonstrated an exceptional gamma-ray tolerance of ultrathin perovskite solar cell with a total thickness of 4 microns. Perovskite solar cells*1 are being developed for use as space solar cells due to their high radiation resistance. However, until now, evaluation of their radiation resistance has mainly been limited to devices on glass substrates, and the radiation resistance of ultrathin, flexible structures with a thickness of 5 microns or less had not been clarified. Therefore, this research group conducted gamma-ray irradiation tests on perovskite solar cells using an ultrathin parylene*2 /SU-8 substrate and revealed that they showed high stability even after irradiation with high-dose gamma rays of 890 krad, which is more than 10 times the space standard. This result demonstrates that perovskite solar cells possess high radiation resistance even in ultrathin structures*3 . This is expected to lead to the realization of lightweight, flexible space solar cells that can be folded at launch and deployed over a large area in space to generate high power.
Research Summary
Perovskite solar cells, which have attracted attention in recent years, are known for their high radiation resistance due to their ionic bonding properties. Their flexibility, light weight, and high efficiency make them promising as a new lightweight solar cell for space applications, replacing silicon. However, previous radiation resistance evaluations of perovskite solar cells have mainly been limited to devices on glass substrates, and the radiation resistance of ultra-thin, flexible structures with a thickness of 5 microns or less has not been clarified.
In this study, we conducted gamma-ray irradiation tests on ultra-thin perovskite solar cells with a thickness of 4 microns. We demonstrated that the ultra-thin perovskite solar cells maintained high radiation resistance even after high-dose gamma-ray irradiation at 890 krad, without showing degradation such as substrate discoloration. While the efficiency of devices on glass substrates decreased to 86% of the initial value after irradiation due to substrate discoloration, the solar cells on the ultra-thin substrates maintained 99% of the initial value after irradiation (Figure 1b).
(a) Device photographs of glass substrate and ultrathin substrate perovskite solar cells after 890 krad gamma-ray irradiation. Scale bar: 1 cm.
(b) Dose dependence of efficiency retention rate of perovskite solar cells fabricated on glass substrate and ultrathin substrate, respectively. Modified from H. Jinno & et al., Solar RRL, 2026 (CC BY 4.0).
Furthermore, this study compared the irradiation dependence of solar cell characteristics in both glass and ultrathin substrates, allowing for the evaluation of radiation degradation by separating it into substrate-derived and device-derived components. This confirmed that radiation degradation of perovskite solar cells exhibits both substrate-dependent and device-specific influences. This result provides a new perspective for understanding radiation resistance in ultrathin solar cells.
The ultrathin perovskite solar cell developed in this study has a structure that achieves a thickness 1/10 to 1/100th that of conventional space-use thin-film solar cells. Moreover, its high radiation resistance enables a structure that maximizes the lightweight and flexible nature of ultrathin solar cells, eliminating the need for a glass protective film (Figure 2a). This opens up possibilities for applications as a new space power source that can be folded at launch and deployed over a large area in space to generate electricity.
In particular, applying this technology as a large-area deployable solar panel could lead to the realization of solar panels for ultra-small Earth-orbiting satellites requiring high power, and solar panels capable of securing the power necessary for exploration missions in deep space environments with weak sunlight, such as Saturn and Jupiter (Figure 2b). This achievement is expected to have applications in future space businesses and space exploration as a fundamental technology for lightweight, large-area solar cells for space use.
(a) Differences between the radiation-resistant ultrathin perovskite solar cell developed in this study and conventional solar cells.
(b) Future spacecraft prototype using ultrathin solar cells. A large-area, flexible solar panel deploys from the main body and generates electricity.
Terminologies
- *1 A thin-film solar cell with a perovskite crystal composed of lead, halogen, and organic molecular ions as the active layer. It is printable, lightweight, flexible, and highly efficient, and in recent years, its practical application and demonstration as a terrestrial solar cell have been progressing.
- *2 A type of paraxylene polymer, a polymer material that can be formed at room temperature using a dry process. It has high radiation resistance and is used as a protective film for various electronic devices, including space applications. "Parylene®" is a registered trademark of Nippon Parylene Co., Ltd.
- *3 A thin-film device with a substrate thickness reduced to approximately 1-5 microns. By thinning the substrate to the same thickness as the device, high bending resistance (ultra-flexibility) and lightweight properties can be achieved.
Information
| Journal Title | Solar RRL, Wiley |
|---|---|
| Full title of the paper | Ultrathin Perovskite Solar Cells with γ-Ray Tolerance Enabled by a Flexible Radiation-Resistant Plastic Substrate |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1002/solr.70339 |
| Publish date | 20 April 2026 |
| Author(s) | Hiroaki Jinno, Tomoyuki Yokota, Dou Zhao, Daisuke Kobayashi, Takahiro Makino, Akinori Takeyama |
| ISAS or JAXA member(s) among author(s) | JINNO Hiroaki / Department of Spacecraft Engineering, ISAS, KOBAYASHI Daisuke / Department of Spacecraft Engineering, ISAS |
Links
Author
2019 September, Ph.D in Engineering from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
2019 October – 2019 November: JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow in Engineering from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
2019 November – 2020 October: Postdoctoral Researcher, ETH Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne).
2020 November – 2023 March: Postdoctoral Researcher, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich).
2023 April – Present: Assistant Professor, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)