The Road to Breaking Through Limits: Improving Photoelectric Conversion Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract

With the rising energy demand, solar cells, renowned for their sustainability, have developed rapidly due to their pollution-free characteristics. The pursuit of lower electricity costs and higher conversion efficiency remains the core goal of the advancement of solar cells. At present, the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of crystalline silicon cells, which currently the mainstream of commercial technology, is approaching its theoretical limit, leading to intense market competition. In contrast, there is significant room for improvement in the PCE of perovskite cells. This article compares the performance of three types of solar cells, including single junction perovskite cells, crystalline silicon/perovskite stacked cells, and perovskite/perovskite stacked cells, prepared through experiments. The experimental result confirms that perovskite has much greater potential as an absorbing material with enhanced conversion efficiency than crystalline silicon. This research highlights an effective method to break the Shockley Quether limit of single crystal silicon cells for stacked cells such as crystalline silicon/perovskite and perovskite/perovskite. This work positions the perovskite stacked cells as a transformative technology with high efficiency and cost advantages, poised for significant industrial growth.