Boosting solar cell efficiency and durability
Summary
Perovskite solar cells, known for their unique crystal structures, have emerged as a leading candidate in photovoltaic (PV) technologies, which convert light into electricity. The HKUST team, led by Assistant Professor Lin Yen-Hung from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering and the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Displays and Optoelectronics Technologies, has focused on overcoming the common issue of defects in these materials through innovative passivation techniques. The teams approach led to a significant increase in the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), indicating fewer defects and better material quality. Remarkably, the devices achieved open-circuit voltages beyond 90% of the thermodynamic limit, positioning their results among the best in the field when benchmarked against approximately 1,700 data sets from existing literature. "Such similarity suggests that our new method can be easily integrated into existing manufacturing processes, making it commercially viable and ready for large-scale application."