The idea behind the SpaceSolarShield project is to disrupt the current operative framework – flawed by unresolved criticalities and a general lack of innovation – and to introduce a novel approach that can provide immediate, tangible improvements to the sector. The project proposition is to in-house fabricate the protective coatings using transition metal oxides (TMOs) deposited via consolidated physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques, such as pulsed laser deposition (PLD), magnetron sputtering and e-beam evaporation. As the deposition techniques for the protective layer are compatible with the ones used for the solar cell stack, the two fabrication steps would be seamlessly joined, with a resulting advantage in terms of material logistics and process robustness.

For the integrated coating solution, the SpaceSolarShield project again aims at disrupting the current habit and at bringing forth an innovative approach to this technological aspect. The revolutionary idea is to bridge the operative distinction between anti-reflective coatings and protective coatings, merging both functions in a single multifunctional coating.