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Using a thermal evaporation process, scientists created ultrathin perovskite films that allow visible light to pass through while generating electricity from sunlight.
AsianScientist (Jun. 22, 2026) – Solar cells are now a common sight on rooftops, but in urban areas, vertical spaces like building facades still have untapped potential for capturing sunlight.
However, much of that space is composed of transparent or tinted windows, which conventional opaque solar panels cannot replace.
Now, scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, have developed semi-transparent perovskite solar cells that could potentially be used in buildings and vehicles to incorporate renewable energy generation into our everyday environment.
“The built environment accounts for roughly 40 per cent of global energy consumption, so technologies that seamlessly convert buildings’ surfaces into power-generating assets are gaining urgency,” said Associate Professor Annalisa Bruno, Cluster Director of Renewables & Low-Carbon Solutions and Energy Storage, Energy Research Institute at NTU.
In comparison to silicon solar cells, perovskite cells maintain more efficiency under indirect sunlight and diffuse light conditions, useful properties in urban environments where direct sunlight is limited.
Perovskite solar cells are made of several layers, and are named after the perovskite layer that absorbs sunlight, converting it into electricity. The thickness of this layer can be adjusted to change the transparency of the cell.
The researchers used a process called thermal evaporation to control the deposition of the perovskite layer. In thermal evaporation, the source material is heated in a vacuum chamber until it evaporates – the vapour then settles on a surface, forming a thin film.
The perovskite layers produced in this way ranged from 10nm to 60nm, around 50 times thinner than conventional perovskite solar cells.
Thermal evaporation produces thin, uniform layers, forming less defects than the currently widely used spin-coating method. It also has the potential to be scaled up for industrial production in the future.
“This approach offers a high level of control over film thickness and uniformity, which will be needed if semi-transparent solar cells are to move towards larger-area applications,” said Professor of Optoelectronics Sam Stranks at the University of Cambridge, commenting independently.
When testing their perovskite cells, the researchers had to consider the trade-off between transparency and efficiency. As the perovskite layer is responsible for absorbing energy, a thinner perovskite layer means less sunlight can be absorbed by the cell.
The team found that a 60nm perovskite layer produced the best balance, allowing around 41% of visible light to pass through, and converting 7.6% of sunlight into electricity. According to the researchers, this is among the best reported performances for similar solar cells.
“By precisely controlling thermal evaporation, we are able to adjust the transparency of the solar cells. This opens up new possibilities for sustainable architecture, such as tinted windows that generate electricity,” said first author Dr Luke White.
If this technology can be scaled up while maintaining performance, it could replace large glass building facades and windows in office buildings without significant changes in appearance, expanding the potential surfaces for solar energy generation.
The team has filed a patent for the development of this ultrathin perovskite film, and is now working with companies to standardise their thermal evaporation process for industrial use. They plan to continue improving the long-term stability and large-area performance of the perovskite solar cells before commercial deployment.
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Source: Nanyang Technological University; Image: Atif khan28/Magnific
This article can be found at: Ultrathin Fully Vacuum-Processed Perovskite Solar Cells withAbsorbers Down to 10 nm
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
Sher Ying is a science writer with an interest in biology and the environment. She graduated with a degree in Biotechnology from Monash University, Malaysia.
Sher Ying is a science writer with an interest in biology and the environment. She graduated with a degree in Biotechnology from Monash University, Malaysia.
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