A research team at the National University of Singapore (NUS) recently announced the successful fabrication of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells on industrial-grade textured silicon wafers using vapor deposition (CVD). This breakthrough represents a significant breakthrough in overcoming a key bottleneck to the commercialization of this type of solar cell.
This research was led by Dr. Yi Hou, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NUS and head of the Perovskite-Based Multijunction Solar Cells Group at the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS). His team's innovative CVD process achieved, for the first time, the uniform integration of a high-quality perovskite layer onto micron-scale textured industrial silicon wafers-was structurally identical to those used in current commercial solar cell mass production.
Previously, while CVD was considered a compatible technology with existing photovoltaic production lines, it remained difficult to fabricate a stable perovskite layer on the steep, pyramidal textured surface of industrial silicon wafers. To address this challenge, the Singaporean research team designed a special surface-binding molecule, successfully solving this problem. This molecule can promote the uniform adsorption of perovskite precursor compounds during vapor deposition, facilitating the formation of a uniform perovskite film and significantly enhancing the high-temperature resistance of the device.
According to the research team, the tandem solar cell fabricated using this technology achieves a power conversion efficiency exceeding 30% and exhibits excellent long-term operational stability. Under industry-standard stress testing conditions (85 degrees Celsius, 1 solar irradiance), the cell's T90 lifetime (the time required for performance to decay to 90% of its initial value) exceeds 1400 hours, and its overall stable operating time surpasses 2000 hours. This durability performance places it among the most stable perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells reported to date, fully validating its suitability for rooftop photovoltaics, large-scale photovoltaic power plants, and industrial-grade solar energy applications.
Dr. Hou Yi stated, "The core innovation of our research lies in the first successful conformal integration of a high-quality vapor-deposited perovskite layer with an industrial-grade micron-textured silicon wafer. This allows the device to possess both high efficiency and unprecedented thermal and operational stability, propelling perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell technology a significant step towards practical application." The researchers pointed out that the team's next phase of work will focus on scaling up the laboratory-scale fabrication process to large-area module production and integrating the vapor deposition method into a pilot production line-a crucial step that must be overcome before the technology can be commercialized. Dr. Hou Yi added, "At the same time, we are also developing next-generation perovskite material compositions and interface structures optimized for mass production, with the goal of promoting reliable, large-scale mass production of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells." It is worth mentioning that in June of this year, researchers at the Solar Energy Institute of Singapore set a technological record: their perovskite-organic tandem solar cell achieved a certified conversion efficiency of 26.4%, breaking the world record for this type of cell; on a larger-area test device, the cell achieved an even higher conversion efficiency of 26.7%, setting a new performance record in this technology field to date. This breakthrough in the stability of the new generation of tandem cells further solidifies the team's leading position in the field of tandem solar cells.
Reference source: www.pv-magazine.com
