Background
Perovskite solar cells have been widely heralded as a next-generation photovoltaic technology, primarily due to their high efficiency and potential for low-cost manufacturing. However, two significant hurdles to their commercialization have been the reliance on toxic solvents in their fabrication processes and the persistent challenge of ensuring long-term device stability. The solvents traditionally used in wet processing raise considerable concerns regarding environmental impact and safety in industrial settings. The development of a fully solvent-free manufacturing process represents a revolutionary approach to tackle these issues simultaneously, offering a critical pathway for perovskite solar cells to genuinely compete with, or complement, established technologies like conventional silicon solar cells in the energy market. Establishing environmentally friendly and scalable manufacturing techniques is indispensable for accelerating the widespread adoption of perovskite solar cells.
Key Findings
A collaborative research team, including the University of Freiburg and Fraunhofer ISE, has announced a groundbreaking achievement: a peak power conversion efficiency of 27.3% (stabilized at 27.0%) for a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell fabricated entirely through a solvent-free process. This innovative approach utilizes thermal evaporation to deposit the perovskite layer, a significant departure from conventional wet processes like spin-coating that rely on toxic solvents.
Thermal evaporation, which involves the sublimation of materials in a vacuum and their subsequent deposition onto a substrate, entirely eliminates the need for solvents. This not only reduces environmental impact but also inherently enhances industrial compatibility. The method allows for precise control over film thickness and composition, resulting in high-quality, defect-free perovskite layers that contribute significantly to both high efficiency and long-term stability. This precision directly addresses key challenges of uniform film formation and scalability often associated with wet processing.
Crucially, the device demonstrated exceptional long-term stability, maintaining 97.06% of its initial efficiency after 6800 hours of dark storage under a nitrogen atmosphere. This remarkable performance retention is a major breakthrough, directly addressing the long-standing durability challenge that has historically hindered perovskite commercialization. The 27.3% efficiency, combined with this solvent-free manufacturing process and robust stability, significantly raises the technological benchmark for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells.
This process holds considerable promise for industrial reproducibility and scalability, paving the way for larger-area module fabrication. Its solvent-free nature facilitates adoption even in regions with stringent environmental regulations, enhancing the sustainability of the entire supply chain. Furthermore, this high stability enables reliable long-term outdoor operation, decisively boosting the competitiveness of perovskite technology in the solar energy market and accelerating the transition to a sustainable society.
Get our weekly technology intelligence — free
Receive an infographic that lets you judge at a glance whether each field’s analysis report is worth reading.
Subscribe Free — Weekly Tech Intelligence
By subscribing, you’ll receive Troy-Technical’s weekly technology intelligence newsletter.
- Your email and selected fields are used only to deliver the newsletter.
- We never share your information with third parties.
- You can unsubscribe anytime via the link in each email.
See our Privacy Policy for details.
Takes about a minute · Unsubscribe anytime
Comments