The Electrical Engineering major of Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) held a guest lecture which introduce
perovskite as a material that is able to replace silicone and other semiconductors in solar panel, LED, laser, and scintillator. Nowadays, the commercial solar panel is silicone-based and it does not come with an affordable price, because the production process itself already requires a high temperature technology which is very expensive. Now, researchers have found perovskite which becomes an alternative with a more affordable production price because it does not need a high temperature process, and can be made in an ordinary chemistry lab. This fact was explained by Dr. M. Danang Birowosuto, M.Sc., who became the guest lecture on November 5, 2018 at B 550, B building, UPH Lippo Village.

Danang serves as the Senior Research Fellow in CNRS-International NTU-Thales Research Alliance (CINTRA). In this guest lecture, he talked about a number of applications of perovskite and its business potential for solar panels, laser, LED, X-ray detector, as well as gamma ray detector. The advantages of perovskite are its relatively cheap production price, its relatively easy production process, which can even make use of the printing technology.

This material has been commercialized in many foreign countries including in London, England, which already has its own start-up company that are engaged in the commercialization of perovskite solar panels. Thus it is important for the young generation of Indonesia, especially the future engineers, to learn more about perovskite.

According to Dr. Ir. Henri P. Uranus, M.T., Head of the Electrical Engineering major of UPH, perovskite has already been introduced to the students of Electrical Engineering major of UPH through the optoelectronics course – when they have to learn about the Lithium Niobate crystal, however, it was in another form and for another kind of application. Thus, with this guest lecture, students are able to widen their perspective and gain more knowledge about perovskite, as well as the potentials it has.

“Because of its easy production process, in which it can be made in a regular lab, perovskite can also be developed in Indonesia. In its production process we can also collaborate with the Chemical Engineering people as well,” Danang then added.

Moreover, Henri also talked about the purpose of this guest lecture. “The Electrical Engineering major of UPH held a guest lecture regularly every semester. The purpose it to widen students’ perspective and knowledge, so that they are able to know more than the materials they learn in class, but also about its recent development in the research world and industrial field,” he stated. (it)