Multi-junction solar stacks

Introduction

The combination of different types of solar cell technologies allows to more efficiently convert a wider range of the light spectrum into electricity. By stacking a high efficient semi-transparent perovskite top cell on a silicon bottom cell, total energy conversion efficiencies up to 30% are targeted. 

Imec focuses on four terminal stacked cells and modules because these multi-junction stacks do not suffer from current matching and their total energy conversion yield is less sensitive to spectral variations of the light.

With small size perovskite cells on 2cm by 2 cm interdigitated back contact cell (IBC), a maximum total efficiency up to 22% could be demonstrated. For 16cm² twenty-five cell perovskite module on top of a 16cm² four cell IBC module, a total efficiency of more than 17% was realized.

Other imec developments combine different type of perovskites cells on top of each other, or perovskites on top of CIGS.

Collaboration opportunities

The more than 30 year experience of imec in silicon solar cell technology and the in depth know-how in perovskite solar cells, puts imec in the leading position for stacked solar development. We can provide perovskite technology solutions to add to a company’s silicon solar cell, or we can provide silicon solar cell technology on which a company’s perovskite can be processed, or we can provide both.