ICFO Solar Cell Design Could Break 33% Efficiency Ceiling
ICFO researchers replaced the standard indium tin oxide electrode with a thin silver layer, reporting simultaneous voltage and current gains in lab tests.
Researchers at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Barcelona announced a solar cell engineering breakthrough that could push conversion efficiency beyond the standard 33% ceiling, according to techradar.com. The team replaced the conventional indium tin oxide front electrode with a very thin silver layer that also behaves partly like a mirror.
The design works by restricting the angles through which light can escape the cell, a change the researchers say boosts efficiency. In lab tests, the ICFO team observed gains in both voltage and current at the same time.
The scientists say efficiencies close to 43% could be possible in theory, although only small gains were observed in their experiments so far.
Why the 33% ceiling matters
The standard benchmark for single-layer solar cells is the Shockley-Queisser limit, which predicts a maximum conversion rate of 33%.
Other groups have approached the problem from different directions. Earlier this year, Chinese manufacturer Longi set a record of 35.5% efficiency by stacking perovskite on a conventional silicon cell. Separately, researchers from Kyushu University and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz announced a quantum yield of 130% using singlet fission.
Quick answers
What efficiency could the ICFO solar cell design reach?
The researchers say efficiencies close to 43% could be possible in theory, though only small gains were observed in their lab tests.
What did ICFO change in the solar cell?
The team replaced the standard indium tin oxide front electrode with a very thin silver layer that also behaves partly like a mirror, restricting the angles through which light can escape.