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The researchers claim their kesterite breakthrough paves the way for mass production of next-generation solar cells.
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have achieved world-record power conversion efficiency with a new kesterite solar cell.
During tests, the team’s solar cell demonstrated an efficiency of 15.45% and an internationally certified third-party efficiency of 15.04%. The researchers claimed this new breakthrough paves the way for the industrialization of next-generation solar cells using the material.
Kesterite is a naturally occurring mineral composed of copper, zinc, tin, and sulfur (CZTS). It is highly promising for next-gen thin-film solar cell applications, as it is abundant, non-toxic, and inexpensive to produce.
As a PV Magazine report points out, there are no supply bottlenecks expected in the future for kesterite. In this context, it is a better candidate than CIGS compounds, as bottlenecks of CIGS are expected. However, kesterite is not as efficient as CIGS in mass production. Efforts to harness kesterite’s full potential have also so far been hampered by defects formed during the manufacturing process.
Prior to the latest result, the world record for kesterite cells stood at 14.2 percent. This was achieved for lab-scale devices by the same CAS team in June 2024. To achieve the new record, they addressed “uncontrollable metal ion migration,” which is a “core technical challenge”, CAS explained in a press statement.
This occurs when mobile ions swap positions within the lattice. This produces defects that can reduce efficiency, cause gradual degradation, and compromise stability as well as long-term reliability.
To overcome the problem of uncontrollable metal ion migration, the team proposed a new mechanism that leverages interfacial phase equilibrium.
They developed an interphase based on a lithium tin sulfide compound known as Li₂SnS₃ (LTS). According to the team, this modifies cation migration paths and balances differences in copper and tin migration. It also stabilizes the cell junction, improving efficiency and reliability.
“By slowing down reaction kinetics, the LTS interphase enables more controlled grain growth, thus promoting the formation of larger and more uniform grains,” CAS noted in its statement. “This significantly reduces deep-level defects and improves overall crystalline quality.”
The team tested their new cell under standard illumination conditions and found that it achieved an efficiency of 15.45% and an open-circuit voltage exceeding 600 mV at a bandgap of 1.10 eV. According to the team, this “represents an unusually high voltage for this material, showing that long-standing energy losses can be overcome.”
The CAS team also announced that, due to the new breakthrough, they have created an intellectual property portfolio covering the entire LTS process. This will provide support for the eventual industrialization of CZTSSe solar cells.
Chris Young is a journalist, copywriter, blogger and tech geek at heart who’s reported on the likes of the Mobile World Congress, written for Lifehack, The Culture Trip, Flydoscope and some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including NEC and Thales, about robots, satellites and other world-changing innovations.
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