Highly Efficient Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells for Four Terminal Perovskite-Silicon Tandems

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces Vol. 11; no. 37; pp. 34178 - 34187
• Main Authors: Dewi, Herlina Arianita, Wang, Hao, Li, Jia, Thway, Maung, Sridharan, Ranjani, Stangl, Rolf, Lin, Fen, Aberle, Armin G, Mathews, Nripan, Bruno, Annalisa, Mhaisalkar, Subodh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 18.09.2019
• Subjects: efficiency; perovskite; tandem solar cell; semitransparent perovskite solar cell; silicon solar cell
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b13145

Tandem solar cells (SCs) based on perovskite and silicon represent an exciting possibility for a breakthrough in photovoltaics, enhancing SC power conversion efficiency (PCE) beyond the single-junction limit while keeping the production cost low. A critical aspect to push the tandem PCE close to its theoretical limit is the development of high-performing semitransparent perovskite top cells, which also allow suitable near-infrared transmission. Here, we have developed highly efficient semitransparent perovskite SCs (PSCs) based on both mesoporous and planar architectures, employing Cs0.05(MA0.17FA0.83)0.95Pb­(I0.83Br0.17)3 and FA0.87Cs0.13PbI2Br perovskites with band gaps of 1.58 and 1.72 eV, respectively, which achieved PCEs well above 17 and 14% by detailed control of the deposition methods, thickness, and optical transparency of the interlayers and the semitransparent electrode. By combining our champion 1.58 eV PSCs (PCE of 17.7%) with an industrial-relevant low-cost n-type Si SCs, a four-terminal (4T) tandem efficiency of 25.5% has been achieved. Moreover, for the first time, 4T tandem SCs’ performances have been measured in the low light intensity regime, achieving a PCE of 26.6%, corresponding to revealing a relative improvement above 9% compared to the standard 1 sun illumination condition. These results are very promising for their implementation under field-operating conditions.