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Researchers prove passivation works on textured silicon, moving perovskite tandem solar cells closer to industrial production.
Solar power is growing faster than any other energy source. Yet silicon, the workhorse of the industry, is close to its physical efficiency limit. The most advanced silicon panels can convert just under 30 percent of sunlight into electricity.
To break through this ceiling, scientists are exploring perovskite silicon tandem cells. These combine a perovskite top layer with a silicon bottom layer, capturing a wider range of sunlight and promising higher performance.
An international team of researchers has now advanced this technology with a breakthrough that could move it closer to large-scale production.
They showed that surface passivation of perovskite top cells is possible on textured silicon, the type already used in mass production. Their results mark a step toward highly efficient solar panels that can be manufactured at an industrial scale.
Tandem solar cells rely on perovskite to boost light absorption. Silicon remains vital because its production methods are mature and widely adopted.
Using textured silicon bottom cells would allow tandem cells to fit into existing production lines.
Texturing with pyramid shapes increases the surface area of silicon, capturing more sunlight. At the same time, this uneven surface makes it difficult to apply the perovskite layer smoothly.
Until now, effective passivation, which reduces defects that waste energy, has only been achieved on flat solar cells.
“So far, effective passivation has not been fully harnessed on textured perovskite silicon tandem solar cells, with prior success largely confined to flat-front architectures. But we have now managed excellent passivation by depositing 1,3-diaminopropane dihydroiodide on the uneven perovskite surface,” said Dr. Oussama Er-Raji, the lead author and scientist at Fraunhofer ISE.
This approach delivered a conversion efficiency of 33.1 percent with an open-circuit voltage of 2.01 volts.
The researchers also revealed a difference in how passivation behaves across materials. In silicon, the treatment acts only at the surface.
In perovskite, it impacts the entire absorber layer. This deep field effect boosted conductivity and improved the fill factor, raising the overall performance.
“This realization provides a solid foundation for all future research in this area,” said Prof. Stefaan De Wolf of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). “It enhances our understanding of the processes occurring in the top cell while converting light into electricity, enabling scientists to leverage this knowledge to develop better tandem solar cells.”
The breakthrough highlights why passivation remains central to solar progress.
“Surface passivation of solar cells is not just a nice-to-have feature; it is an essential booster for their efficiency and stability,” said Prof. Stefan Glunz of the University of Freiburg and Fraunhofer ISE.
The research builds on the Fraunhofer lighthouse project MaNiTU and the projects PrEsto and Perle, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
By overcoming a barrier that limited scalability, the team has brought perovskite silicon tandem solar cells closer to commercial reality.
The study is published in the journal Science.
Aamir is a seasoned tech journalist with experience at Exhibit Magazine, Republic World, and PR Newswire. With a deep love for all things tech and science, he has spent years decoding the latest innovations and exploring how they shape industries, lifestyles, and the future of humanity.
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