A new S3200-S1 printhead addition to Epson’s PrecisionCore printhead series is expected to drive the adoption of inkjet technology in advanced fields such as perovskite solar cell fabrication.
Epson has recently completed a circa $52m investment in construction of a new factory for the manufacture of inkjet printheads at its primary Tohoku Epson manufacturing facility in Japan
Designed for industrial mass production applications, the S3200-S1 inkjet printhead offers compatibility with strong solvents, a wide print width, and high resolution. Epson believes it will further accelerate the use of inkjet technology in advanced fields such as perovskite solar cell fabrication.
The S3200-S1 is compatible with a wide range of strong solvents, including NMP, DMSO, DMF, and DMI, making it well-suited for the formation of multiple functional layers (as with perovskite solar cells). It offers a print width of 4.73 inches, which is considerably wider than the 1.33-inch print width of the S800-S1, Epson's current strong solvent-compatible model, and this wider width reduces the number of heads required and simplifies device configuration. The new printhead also delivers exceptionally uniform film thicknesses with high-resolution 600 dpi printing, contributing to stable quality.
Already well-regarded for their precise ejection capabilities and in fields requiring uniform thin film deposition, existing strong solvent-compatible printheads like the S800-S1 and I3200-S1HD are already being used by multiple companies in industrial applications, such as perovskite solar cells. The new wide-format S3200-S1 will further accelerate users' development of equipment for mass production.
In South Korea, Gosan Tech Co., Ltd. is currently testing the use of S800-S1 printheads in the mass production of perovskite solar cells, so the introduction of the S3200-S1 is expected to accelerate the transition to mass production equipment.
Kim Kwangsoo, President of Gosan Tech, says: "We believe inkjet printing technology will play a central role in the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. Epson's PrecisionCore printheads offer excellent durability and stability against solvents and are optimized for uniform and precise thin-film deposition. We will continue to work closely with Epson to lead innovation in the solar cell industry through inkjet technology."
The perovskite solar cell market is expected to grow rapidly from 2025 onward, with forecasts suggesting a global market size of approximately ¥2.4 trillion by 2040.
New PrecisionCore printhead production factory
With the demand for commercial and industrial inkjet printers also increasing, as well as exponential growth in the use of PrecisionCore printheads in inkjet multifunction printers with high-speed line-heads, Epson is predicting significant growth in the demand for its growing range of PrecisionCore MicroTFP printheads.
To meet this demand, Epson has recently completed a 5.1 billion yen (circa $52m) investment in construction of a new factory for the manufacture of inkjet printheads at its primary Tohoku Epson manufacturing facility in Japan, leaving Epson able to approximately quadruple its printhead production capacity.
The new building is adjacent to its existing printhead production facility and is designed to enable more efficient operations, from component processing to assembly.
