Indian scientists have fabricated perovskite mini-modules with reduced graphene oxide interface engineering, achieving 16.6% efficiency and over 1,300 hours of stable operation. The graphene oxide layer improves film quality, reduces defects, enhances charge transport, and enables scalable fabrication, offering a promising route toward efficient and durable perovskite solar modules.
Image: Prabhat Kumar College

Researchers at Prabhat Kumar College in India have fabricated mini perovksite solar modules with over 1,300 hours of operational stability.
“We demonstrated a scalable interface engineering approach using reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) to significantly enhance the performance of perovskite solar mini-modules,” the research’s lead author, Asim Guchhait, told pv magazine. “The r-GO interfacial layer improves perovskite film quality, reduces defect-driven recombination, and enhances charge transport.”
The scientists developed an interface passivation strategy intended at applying r-GO is to self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-based hole transport layers (HTLs) to improve surface properties and control perovskite crystallization. They explained that, although SAMs are valued for stability, transparency, and good energy-level alignment, they suffer from low hole mobility and surface defects. The introduction of r-GO mitigates these limitations and enhances hole extraction efficiency, while also improving perovskite film coverage and device stability by acting as a barrier layer.
The research group spin coated reduced r-GO nto the SAM to modify the interface before depositing the perovskite layer using a two-step spin-coating method with anti-solvent treatment. It then built the solar cell type used for the modules by using a substrate made of glass and indium tin oxide (ITO), a sputtered nickel oxide (NiOx) as the seed layer of SAM, the SAM, a perovskite absorber, an electron transport layer (ETL) based on a buckminsterfullerene (C60), a transparent back contact made of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), a bathocuproine (BCP) buffer layer, and a copper (Cu) metal contact.
The 22.59%-efficient cell was assembled through a monolithic interconnection via a P1–P2–P3 laser scribing process. Initially, P1 scribing creates isolation lines in the ITO layer, followed by cleaning and deposition of NiOx, SAM, and r-GO layers. The perovskite absorber is then deposited using a two-step spin-coating method with anti-solvent treatment and thermal annealing. P2 scribing removes selected layers to enable electrical connection between adjacent subcells after copper electrode deposition. P3 scribing then isolates the top electrodes, preventing electrical cross-talk and completing the module.
The photovoltaic performance of the 5 cm x 5 cm mini modules fabricated with the proposed cell structure was evaluated using J–V measurements under standard illumination conditions with a calibrated solar simulator and source meter. Unencapsulated perovskite modules with an active area of 9.2 cm² were found to achieve a power conversion efficiency of 16.6%, which compares to 15.13% in control devices built without the r-GO layers.
The scientists explained that the r-GO-modified substrates exhibited improved perovskite film quality with fewer defects and better growth kinetics, which in turn reduced grain boundaries and trap densities, leading to better charge transport. Electrical analyses confirmed reduced defect density, improved recombination resistance, and enhanced carrier dynamics. Moreover, the r-GO-treated devices demonstrated excellent stability, retaining over 95% efficiency after 1,300 hours of operation and storage, far outperforming control devices.
“These results demonstrate that r-GO interfacial passivation combined with optimized transport layers is an effective route toward more efficient and durable perovskite modules,” the academics stated.
The new cell and module concept was introduced in the study “Interface engineering for stabilization of efficient perovskite mini-modules with over 1300 hr operational stability,” published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. “This work provides a promising pathway for bridging the gap between laboratory-scale devices and commercially viable perovskite solar modules,” said Guchhait. 
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