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					</table><p>Researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (<a href="https://www.kaust.edu.sa/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KAUST</a>), in a significant discovery, have claimed to surpass the efficiency milestone of 30% for tandem silicon-perovskite solar cells.</p>
<p>Tandem solar cells consist of a top cell that absorbs high-energy photons and a bottom cell that captures low-energy photons. These cells are stacked together, with the top and bottom cells interconnected, allowing for efficient energy conversion.</p>
<p>Monolithic integration of perovskite and silicon solar cells into a tandem device holds great promise for high-performance and cost-effective photovoltaics.</p>
<p>Metal halide perovskites have emerged as a promising semiconductor class for solar cells, as their bandgap can be tailored to cover the desirable range for top cells.</p>
<p>Integrating perovskites with silicon into tandems has become a thriving area of research, leading to various deposition techniques involving solution processes, vacuum deposition, or a combination of both.</p>
<p>Initial work focused on developing low-temperature deposition processes for the top cell to ensure compatibility with the highly efficient silicon bottom cell.</p>
<p>One of the main challenges in realizing the potential of perovskite-silicon tandems has been minimizing charge loss due to recombination in the perovskite top cell, particularly at its interface with the electron-collecting contact stack.</p>
<p>Researchers have addressed this issue through innovative molecular approaches. By blending a phosphonic acid-based additive or inserting a chemical component, piperazinium iodide, they achieved certified efficiencies above 30% in different types of perovskite-silicon tandems.</p>
<p><strong>Future Directions and Commercial Viability</strong></p>
<p>Moving forward, efforts are needed to improve further the performance, stability, and scalability of perovskite-silicon tandems.</p>
<p>Assessing the annual degradation rate under real-world conditions and achieving scalability comparable to mainstream silicon manufacturing is crucial for commercial viability.</p>
<p>The researchers said reaching performance, stability, and scaling goals within approximately five years will accelerate the maturation of this renewable energy technology and contribute to meeting the critical target of 75 TW global PV capacity.</p>
<p>Recently, scientists at the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/iit-26-efficiency-perovskite-silicon-solar-cell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">achieved</a> a power conversion efficiency of more than 26% for a 4 terminal (4T)-silicon perovskite tandem solar cell.</p>
<p>Last month, Italy-based renewable energy company Enel Green Power, researchers at the National Solar Energy Institute, and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission claimed to have <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/researchers-show-tandem-perovskite-solar-cell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">achieved</a> a power conversion efficiency of 26.5% for a 2-terminal tandem perovskite solar cell.</p>


Researchers Claim Over 30% Efficiency with Tandem Silicon-Perovskite Solar Cells


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					</table><p>Scientists at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (<a href="https://www.kaust.edu.sa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KAUST</a>) claimed to have developed a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell with a record energy conversion efficiency of 33.2%.</p>
<p>Certified by the European Solar Test Installation (<a href="https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/european-solar-test-installation_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESTI</a>), the efficiency achieved at the KAUST Solar Center has been listed on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (<a href="https://www.nrel.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NREL</a>) Best Research-cell Efficiency Chart.</p>
<p>Researchers combined perovskite top cells on industrially compatible, two-sided, textured silicon bottom cells to obtain the tandem solar cell.</p>
<p>They observed that the perovskite top layer absorbed blue light best, while the silicon foundation absorbed red light best.</p>
<p>The KASUT team has been working on how to uniformly cover the micrometer-sized pyramidal surface of silicon cells with perovskite material since 2016.</p>
<p>The scientists concluded that combining these materials maximized the capture and conversion of sunlight into electricity more efficiently than the conventional single-junction silicon analogs.</p>
<p>Professor of Material Science and Engineering and Interim Associate Director of the KAUST Solar Center Stefaan De Wolf said, “This new record is the highest power conversion efficiency of any two-junction solar cell under non-concentrated light, attesting the tremendous promise of perovskite/silicon tandems to deliver ultra-high performance photovoltaic modules, which is critical to rapidly achieve renewable energy goals towards combatting climate change.”</p>
<p>The research is a significant breakthrough in the field of solar energy at a time when market predictions estimate the tandem perovskite/silicon technologies will comprise over $10 billion of the global photovoltaic market share by 2032.</p>
<p>The KAUST team is exploring scalable methods to produce industrial-scale perovskite/silicon tandem cells with areas exceeding 240 square centimeters. The researchers are also working on strategies to obtain highly stable tandem devices that will pass the critical industrial stability protocols.</p>
<p>The efficiency achieved by the KASUT team also <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/tandem-solar-cell-achieves-world-conversion-efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassed</a> the earlier record of 32.5% achieved by researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for tandem solar cells.</p>
<p>Last month, Italy-based renewable energy company Enel Green Power, researchers at the National Solar Energy Institute, and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission claimed to have <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/researchers-show-tandem-perovskite-solar-cell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">achieved</a> a power conversion efficiency of 26.5% for a 2-terminal tandem perovskite solar cell.</p>


Scientists Achieve Record 33.2% Efficiency for Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Solar Cells


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					</table><p>A team of scientists from <a href="https://www.kaust.edu.sa/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KAUST</a> Solar Centre has found that inserting a metal fluoride layer on multi-layered perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells can stall charge recombination and enhance performance.</p>
<p>When sunlight strikes the perovskite sub-cell, the resulting pairs of electrons and positively charged holes recombine at the interface between perovskite and the electron-transport layer. Also, a mismatch between energy levels at this interface hinders electron separation within the cell. These lower the maximum operating or open-circuit voltage of the tandem cells and limit device performance.</p>
<p>The research has found that these issues can partially be solved by introducing a lithium fluoride layer between the perovskite and electron-transport layer, which usually comprises the electron-acceptor fullerene (C60).</p>
<p>However, a problem with this is lithium salts readily liquify and diffuse through surfaces, thereby making the devices unstable.</p>
<p>&#8220;None of the devices have passed the standard test protocols of the International Electrotechnical Commission, prompting us to create an alternative,&#8221; lead author Jiang Liu, a postdoctoral fellow in the KAUST Solar Center, said.</p>
<p>The research team is developing high-efficiency perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells using interface and composition engineering.</p>
<p><strong>Metal Fluoride Interlayer</strong></p>
<p>The team has systematically investigated the potential of other metal fluorides as interlayer materials.</p>
<p>An interlayer of magnesium fluoride was found to effectively promote electron extraction from the perovskite active layer while displacing C60 from the perovskite surface. It reduced charge recombination at the interface while enhancing charge transport across the sub-cell.</p>
<p>&#8220;By inserting an ultrathin fluoride-based layer at the sunward-facing perovskite/C60 interface, at the electron-selective top contact, we demonstrate that the charge transport and recombination interfaces can be successfully tuned while maintaining a high transparency for incoming light,&#8221; De Wolf of KAUST said.</p>
<p>&#8220;The resulting tandem solar cell achieved a 50 millivolt increase in its open-current voltage and a certified stabilized power conversion efficiency of 29.3% — one of the highest efficiencies for perovskite–silicon tandem cells,&#8221; Liu added.</p>
<p>&#8220;Considering that the best efficiency is 26.7% for mainstream crystalline silicon-based single-junction cells, this innovative technology could bring considerable performance gains without adding to the cost of fabrication,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>To test the applicability of this technology, the team is developing scalable methods to produce industrial-scale perovskite–silicon tandem cells with areas exceeding 200 square centimeters.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, scientists from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed a new tin-lead perovskite tandem cell merging different layers of two chemical compounds <a href="https://mercomindia.com/2d-cations-tin-lead-perovskite-solar-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">achieving</a> a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.5%.</p>
<p>Researchers from the <a href="https://excitonscience.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science</a> recently <a href="https://mercomindia.com/researchers-claim-higher-conversion-efficiencies-perovskite-solar-glass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demonstrated</a> power conversion efficiencies of 15.5% and 4.1% in solar glass, with varying prototype semiconductor solar cells made of perovskite materials, with a visible transmittance percentage of 20.7% and 52.4%, respectively.</p>


Metal Fluoride in Perovskite-Silicon Solar Cells Can Boost Performance

<p>Researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (<a href="https://www.kaust.edu.sa/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KAUST</a>) claimed to have achieved a significant milestone through the first-ever successful damp-heat test of perovskite solar cells.</p>
<p>The damp-heat test is an accelerated environmental aging test aimed at determining the ability of solar panels to withstand prolonged exposure to high humidity and elevated temperatures.</p>
<p>The experiment was performed under a controlled environment with humidity in the region of 85% and a temperature of 85 degrees Celsius. It was an ideal way to replicate the outdoor test conditions to evaluate factors such as corrosion and delamination.</p>
<p>According to the study, the new technology must meet the requirements of stability and scalability before it can be commercialized.</p>
<p>Developed through a film-coating process, perovskites are vulnerable to the infiltration of external agents like moisture, thus compromising the ability of the solar cells to deal with heat.</p>
<p>The researchers at KAUST found that introducing a 2-D passivation layer blocked the moisture, enhanced solar cells&#8217; efficiency, and prolonged the lifetime of the perovskite solar cells.</p>
<p>The study points out that the technology used in perovskites is thin-film technology. Unlike silicon wafers, perovskite ink can be coated directly on a glass substrate, coupled with antisolvent extraction, followed by thermal annealing to crystallize the perovskite film.</p>
<p>The perovskite ink is formulated from a mixture of salts in a polar aprotic solvent at a low temperature.</p>
<p>One of the main advantages of perovskites is that the cells can be made without using an energy-intensive environment with temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, which is typical for semiconductors like silicon.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a very simple way to make solar cells. While the optoelectronic properties are not unique, they are excellent. They&#8217;re on par with very high-quality traditional semiconductors. That&#8217;s quite remarkable,&#8221; said Steefan De Wolf, professor at KAUST.</p>
<p>As the stability of the cells has been achieved, another thing that comes into the picture is scalability.</p>
<p>Most solar cell applications cater to the utility-scale sector and the rooftop segment. While the latter is not prominent in Saudi Arabia, utility-scale projects are being pursued in the kingdom on a large scale.</p>
<p>&#8220;The market is silicon-based, and it will be silicon-based for the next 20 years at least. The KAUST Lab is mainly focused on improving the performance of perovskite cells to advance efficient solutions, pairing both traditional silicon and perovskites,&#8221; added Wolf.</p>
<p>Recently, researchers at the International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, India, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/new-process-enhance-stability/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that they had increased the efficiency and stability of Titanium dioxide (TiO2)-nanorods-based perovskite solar cells using a new process.</p>
<p>Earlier, researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/conversion-efficiency-perovskite-silicon-solar-cell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that they had achieved a conversion efficiency record of 29.80% in a tandem solar cell made of perovskite and silicon. The result was certified by Fraunhofer ISE CalLab.</p>


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