New Passivation Molecule Boosts Efficiency of Triple-Junction Solar Cells
Researchers introduced a defect-passivating compound that raises the open-circuit voltage of wide-bandgap perovskite layers and refined light management, enabling record efficiencies in perovskite/silicon triple-junction cells.
The study presents a new passivation agent, 4F-POEABr, whose ammonium group and electron-deficient structure jointly provide chemical and field-effect defect mitigation in wide-bandgap perovskite layers, achieving a quasi-Fermi-level splitting of 1.53 eV and an open-circuit voltage of 1.413 V. In parallel, researchers applied systematic interference engineering, introducing a tin-oxide/indium-zinc-oxide bilayer that raised the current density of the current-limited middle sub-cell by roughly 0.5 mA cm⁻².
The combined strategy led to certified steady-state efficiencies of 32.22% for a 1.046 cm² aperture cell and 26.97% for a 15.62 cm² aperture module, with negligible hysteresis. Robust interconnection layers and tailored perovskite interfaces further improved operational stability and reduced device-to-device variation. These results demonstrate a synergistic route toward approaching theoretical limits for perovskite/silicon triple-junction photovoltaics, supporting scalable high-performance solar technology.
Why it matters
Higher solar cell efficiency could lower renewable energy costs and accelerate clean-energy adoption.
In this story
