Revolutionizing Solar Efficiency: How Evaporated Perovskite Technology Achieves Record-Breaking 29.43% Tandem Performance

The New Frontier in Solar Cell Manufacturing

Recent breakthroughs in perovskite solar cell technology are reshaping what’s possible in renewable energy efficiency. Researchers have developed an innovative evaporation-based approach that enables the creation of highly stable, oriented wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells with exceptional performance characteristics. This methodology represents a significant departure from conventional solution-based processing and offers a pathway to commercial-scale manufacturing of high-efficiency tandem solar cells.

The New Frontier in Solar Cell Manufacturing
Understanding the SCG Evaporation Strategy
Material Science and Device Architecture
Advanced Characterization and Performance Validation
Manufacturing Implications and Scalability
Future Directions and Commercial Potential

The most remarkable achievement of this technology is the demonstration of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells reaching a champion power conversion efficiency of 29.43% for a 1 cm² area. This performance level brings the solar industry closer to the long-sought 30% efficiency threshold that could dramatically reduce the cost of solar electricity generation.

Understanding the SCG Evaporation Strategy

The sequential co-evaporation growth (SCG) strategy represents a fundamental advancement in perovskite deposition techniques. Unlike traditional solution processing, which can suffer from composition inhomogeneity and limited scalability, the evaporation approach enables precise control over film formation and crystallographic orientation.

Key advantages of the evaporation method include:, according to industry experts

Enhanced compositional uniformity across large areas
Superior control over crystal orientation and growth kinetics
Reduced dependency on solvent chemistry and antisolvent treatments
Improved reproducibility for industrial-scale manufacturing

Material Science and Device Architecture

The evaporated perovskite system utilizes high-purity precursors including cesium bromide (CsBr), lead iodide (PbI₂), and formamidinium iodide (FAI) deposited through thermal evaporation in a nitrogen environment. The deposition process maintains precise control with FAI and PbI₂ evaporated at 2 Å/s and CsBr at 0.9 Å/s, achieving a final film thickness of 600 nm over approximately 50 minutes., according to market insights

The device architecture incorporates nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles as the hole transport layer, followed by a carbazole-based phosphonic acid self-assembled monolayer. The perovskite active layer is then capped with a C₆₀ electron transport layer and SnO₂ buffer layer deposited via atomic layer deposition, completing with silver top contacts., according to industry developments

Advanced Characterization and Performance Validation

Comprehensive materials characterization reveals the structural advantages of the evaporated perovskite films. Synchrotron-based grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) measurements demonstrate improved crystallographic orientation and reduced defect density compared to solution-processed counterparts., according to further reading

The research team employed sophisticated testing protocols including bias-assisted charge extraction measurements to understand charge carrier dynamics. These investigations revealed superior charge transport properties and reduced ionic migration in the evaporated films, contributing to the enhanced device stability.

Stability testing under the ISOS-L-3 protocol demonstrated remarkable device robustness, maintaining performance under elevated temperature and humidity conditions. The encapsulated devices showed minimal degradation even when subjected to 85% relative humidity at 25°C, addressing one of the traditional weaknesses of perovskite solar cells.

Manufacturing Implications and Scalability

The evaporation-based approach offers significant advantages for industrial manufacturing. The process eliminates several complex steps required in solution processing, including precursor solution preparation, antisolvent dripping, and post-deposition annealing. The ability to deposit uniform films over large areas without composition variation makes this method particularly attractive for commercial production.

The successful transfer of the SCG strategy from single-junction to tandem configuration demonstrates the versatility of the approach. The tandem device fabrication maintains the same evaporation parameters while incorporating additional transparent conductive oxide and buffer layers to optimize light management between the perovskite top cell and silicon bottom cell.

Future Directions and Commercial Potential

This research establishes a clear pathway toward overcoming the efficiency limitations that have constrained conventional silicon solar technology. The 29.43% efficiency achieved in tandem configuration represents one of the highest certified values reported, our earlier report, for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells.

The combination of high efficiency, improved stability, and scalable manufacturing potential positions evaporated perovskite technology as a strong candidate for next-generation photovoltaic applications. As research continues to optimize interface engineering and reduce non-radiative recombination losses, further efficiency improvements appear achievable in the near future.

The successful demonstration of this technology marks a significant milestone in the journey toward low-cost, high-efficiency solar energy conversion. With continued development and scaling, evaporated perovskite solar cells could play a transformative role in global renewable energy deployment, potentially accelerating the transition to sustainable energy systems worldwide.