Eutectic Engineering Yields Ultra-Low-Defect Perovskite Films for Solar Cells and LEDs
An international research team led by Professor Seong Sik Shin of the SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology at Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, the University of California, San Diego, and Princeton University, has developed a next-generation perovskite semiconductor thin film with dramatically reduced defect levels. The peer-reviewed findings, published in the journal Science, demonstrate that a single material platform can successfully power both high-performance solar cells and efficient light-emitting diodes without requiring expensive specialized manufacturing equipment.
Perovskites have drawn intense scientific and industrial interest as key materials for next-generation electronic devices because of their low manufacturing costs and relatively simple solution processing. These versatile materials can be deployed in solar cells that convert incoming light into electrical power, as well as in light-emitting diodes that transform electricity into emitted light. However, traditional thin-film processing requires solidifying a liquid precursor solution into a polycrystalline film, a transition that forms microscopic crystal grains. As these microscale grains meet and fuse together, they frequently generate numerous structural defects along grain boundaries and film surfaces. These defects act as traps that capture or extinguish photo-generated charge carriers, thereby severely degrading overall device performance and shortening operational lifetime.
To overcome this pervasive structural challenge, the researchers identified a solution in the eutectic phenomenon, a thermodynamic behavior wherein a combination of materials melts at a temperature substantially lower than the melting point of either individual constituent. The research team focused on two specific compounds that possess relatively high melting temperatures when isolated: methylammonium chloride, abbreviated as MACl, and a zinc halide, denoted as ZnX₂. When combined into a targeted mixture, the two substances begin melting at a markedly lower temperature than either component would melt on its own.
During thin-film processing, when the deposited perovskite layer was gently heated to approximately 100 degrees Celsius, the eutectic mixture located along the grain boundaries transformed into a thin liquid layer. In this liquid phase, constituent atoms can diffuse roughly 10,000 times faster than they normally do in a solid matrix. This accelerated mobility enables small, disordered crystal grains to merge rapidly, growing into larger, cleaner crystal grains characterized by substantially fewer internal defects. As thermal annealing continues, the methylammonium chloride that facilitated this rapid crystal growth evaporates out of the film, while the remaining zinc segregates toward the grain boundaries, where it actively helps suppress defect formation.
The resulting thin films achieved the highest quality metrics reported to date for perovskite semiconductor layers. Measurements showed that the charge-carrier lifetime reached approximately 295 microseconds, ranking among the longest lifetimes ever documented for perovskite materials. Simultaneously, the surface recombination velocity, which quantifies the rate of carrier losses driven by surface imperfections, dropped to 0.3 centimeters per second. This figure represents the lowest surface recombination velocity reported for lead halide perovskite thin films, demonstrating a level of surface quality directly comparable to the best values recorded for passivated silicon.
Solar cells fabricated using these defect-engineered perovskite thin films achieved a power conversion efficiency of 26.5 percent, alongside an independently certified efficiency of 25.9 percent. The photovoltaic devices also delivered an open-circuit voltage of 1.208 volts, establishing a certified record for solar cells fabricated with an n-i-p architecture. Furthermore, the team fabricated a light-emitting diode using the exact same device architecture as the solar cell and recorded an external quantum efficiency of 26.1 percent. This result demonstrated that a singular device configuration can operate dual roles: serving as an efficient light-absorbing power generator and as a high-efficiency light-emitting device.
Dr. Seongsik Nam, a co-first author of the study, noted that reducing surface recombination velocity to 0.3 centimeters per second confirms that solution processing can yield surface quality on par with silicon. He emphasized that because the team also demonstrated robust performance across large device areas, the technology is expected to help accelerate the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. Corresponding author Professor Seong Sik Shin highlighted that the investigation represents the first crystal-growth method based on a volatile eutectic mixture designed to fundamentally suppress defects in perovskites, noting that the approach achieves both high-efficiency solar cells and light-emitting diodes in a single architecture without demanding specialized deposition systems. Professor Shin added that this eutectic crystallization strategy is anticipated to find broad utility across diverse optoelectronic applications, including displays and photodetectors, as well as throughout the wider field of materials science.
The study was jointly led by corresponding authors Professor Seong Sik Shin of Sungkyunkwan University, Professor David P. Fenning of the University of California, San Diego, and Professor Dane W. deQuilettes of Princeton University. Dr. Seongsik Nam of Sungkyunkwan University, Dr. Jason J. Yoo of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, and Dr. Connor J. Dolan of the University of California, San Diego, contributed as co-first authors. Funding for the research was provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea through the Excellent Young Researcher Program under the Individual Basic Research Program and the National Strategic Technology Materials Development Program. The peer-reviewed research was formally published on October 8, 2026, in Science.
Subject of Research: Defect reduction in perovskite semiconductors via eutectic crystallization
Article Title: SKKU develops ultra-low-defect semiconductor thin films through eutectic engineering, enabling both solar cells and LEDs
Article References: SKKU develops ultra-low-defect semiconductor thin films through eutectic engineering, enabling both solar cells and LEDs. Original publication (Bibliographic details unavailable.)
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: Not provided
Keywords: perovskite semiconductors, eutectic engineering, solar cells, light-emitting diodes, thin films, materials science, photovoltaics, optoelectronics, SKKU, develops, ultra-low-defect, semiconductor
News Source: Denise Maddox. (November 13, 2026). Eutectic Engineering Yields Ultra-Low-Defect Perovskite Films for Solar Cells and LEDs. Scienmag.
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