Particle decoration enables solution-processed perovskite integration with fully-textured silicon for efficient...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells offer potential to surpass the Shockley-Queisser limit.
• Achieving uniform perovskite film coverage on industrial, fully-textured silicon remains a significant challenge for solution-processed methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for achieving complete perovskite film coverage on fully-textured silicon surfaces.
• To improve the efficiency of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells through enhanced film deposition and nucleation control.

Main Methods:

• Spray-coating alumina particles onto fully-textured silicon to create a super-hydrophilic rough surface.
• Utilizing alumina particles to guide perovskite nucleation and promote uniform film deposition.
• Characterizing the surface properties and photovoltaic performance of the modified silicon substrates.

Main Results:

• Alumina particles created a super-hydrophilic surface, enhancing initial wetting and film coverage.
• Alumina particles facilitated uniform nucleation across pyramid surfaces, suppressing valley-preferred nucleation.
• The approach enabled near-conformal perovskite film deposition on fully-textured silicon.
• Reduced nonradiative recombination and extended carrier lifetimes were observed due to alumina particles.
• Achieved a 32.74% efficiency for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells using a one-step solution-processed perovskite layer.

Conclusions:

• Spray-coating alumina particles is an effective strategy for seamless perovskite film integration on textured silicon.
• This method overcomes key challenges in achieving uniform perovskite coverage, paving the way for high-performance tandem solar cells.
• The developed approach offers a viable pathway for manufacturing advanced perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaic devices.