Korea University Develops World’s Most Efficient Inorganic Lead-Tin Perovskite Solar Cell [Reading Science]
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by Kim Jonghwa
Published 16 Jun.2026 10:42(KST)
A team of Korean researchers has developed a world-class inorganic lead-tin perovskite solar cell that operates reliably even under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions. By simultaneously addressing the long-standing issues of compositional non-uniformity and durability—considered the biggest obstacles to the commercialization of next-generation solar cells—this innovation is expected to enhance the competitiveness of the next-generation solar energy market.
Korea University announced on June 16 that a research team led by Professor Lim Sanghyuk from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has successfully developed a high-efficiency, 100% inorganic lead-tin (Pb-Sn) perovskite solar cell using the Composition-Pinned Growth (CPG) technology.
Research paper images. (Above) Improvement of compositional and electrical uniformity of inorganic perovskite thin films using compositionally fixed growth (CPG) process. (Below) Performance enhancement of inorganic perovskite solar cells using compositionally fixed growth (CPG) process. Provided by the research team
Inorganic lead-tin perovskites are attracting attention as materials for next-generation solar cells because they possess an ideal bandgap for maximizing the conversion of solar energy into electricity. They also offer superior thermal stability compared to existing organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites.
However, during the formation of thin films, the differing crystallization rates of lead and tin caused excessive accumulation of tin on the surface. This led to compositional non-uniformity and oxidation, resulting in increased defects and limiting both the efficiency and long-term stability of the solar cells.
The research team addressed this issue by introducing the Composition-Pinned Growth technology, which accelerates solvent evaporation and crystallization processes simultaneously. This minimizes the time for atomic separation and ensures a uniform lead-tin composition throughout the thin film.
The research showed that the separation of lead and tin during crystallization was suppressed, significantly reducing surface oxidation and defect density. Additionally, non-radiative recombination within the solar cell was minimized, further improving photoelectric conversion performance.
The solar cell using this technology achieved a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.37% per unit cell. This is the highest performance reported to date for inorganic lead-tin perovskite solar cells.
Research team photo. (From left) Jin-Kyung Park, Research Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea University (First Author), Hyung-Jun Lee, Integrated Master’s and PhD Program, Korea University (First Author), Sang-Hyuk Lim, Professor, Korea University (Corresponding Author), Fei Zhang, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin University, China (Corresponding Author), Jin-Hyuk Heo, Professor, Tianjin University, China (Corresponding Author). Provided by Korea University
The study also demonstrated commercial viability. The team applied the process to a spray coating-based, large-area production method to fabricate a large solar module with an area of 64 cm², achieving a module efficiency of 17.03%.
The solar cell also exhibited excellent durability. Even after operating continuously for 1,000 hours in harsh conditions of 85°C and 85% relative humidity, the developed solar cells maintained approximately 87% of their initial efficiency.
Professor Lim Sanghyuk of Korea University stated, “This research demonstrates that precise control of the thin film growth pathway can resolve the compositional non-uniformity and oxidation issues in inorganic lead-tin perovskites,” adding, “We expect this to become an important foundation for the commercialization of next-generation solar devices that are both highly efficient and stable and can be produced on a large scale in the future.”
The results of this study were published in the international journal InfoMat in the field of materials engineering.
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