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H2020Individual fellowship2021–2023

TEXTA · Textured Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2021-04-01 → 2023-03-31
EU contribution
€191,149
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF

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Results in brief

Textured Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells

Silicon solar cells are approaching their theoretical efficiency limits, yet we need to produce more solar energy in the next decades, ideally with less material usage but even higher efficiency, to ensure energy security with minimal ecological impact. To this end tandem solar cells based on halide perovskites are an attractive option, but need to further improve efficiency and stability. Ideally, the solar cells furthermore feature texturization for optimal light harvesting. Ths is the core objective of TEXTA, creating novel perovskite-based tandem solar cells with texturization. Their development is pivotal in transitioning to a net-zero society. Furthermore, simple and low-cost technologies such as the one presented provide the opportunity to rapidly develop new production capacities in Europe without worries about supply chains outside of Europe.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Halide perovskites exhibit many ideal properties for photovoltaics, as highlighted by the fact that lead halide solar cells (SCs) have now reached efficiencies >25%, a value close the theoretical limit of single-junction SCs. A strategy to overcome this limitation is to combine two SCs, e.g. two perovskites of different compositions, into a tandem device to reduce thermalization and incomplete absorption losses. To maximize power output, each sub-cell must generate a maximum photocurrent matching that of the other sub-cell. This can be achieved by a. careful optimization of the perovskites thicknesses, b. minimizing parasitic absorption in transport layers and electrodes, and c. depositing the SCs on textured substrates. Textures are employed by some SC technologies, e.g. silicon, to enhance absorption and reduce reflection losses. Still, the use of textures in perovskite-based devices has been extremely challenging. Record perovskite-based single-junction and tandem devices rely on solution-processing (spin-coating), complicating and often preventing the uniform coverage of textured surfaces, in addition to hindering their deployment on industry-relevant sizes. This proposal aims to tackle both challenges by producing 30% perovskite-perovskite tandems, where all the functional layers (incl. perovskites) are grown conformally on textured substrates with high uniformity. To track and improve the optoelectronic quality of the perovskites when developing new processing routes, a combination of three in-situ optical spectroscopies (Absorption, PL & Raman) will be implemented. The methods will offer direct insights into the (trans-)formation of perovskites and emergence of defects or unwanted phases. With the means to monitor the quality of the perovskites, the optoelectronic quality of narrow- and wide-bandgap perovskites will be improved through process and additive engineering to finally yield highly efficient textured perovskite-perovskite tandems.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE · LausanneCoordinatorSwitzerland

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union