The durability and stability of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells (PSTSCs) have improved substantially but still present distinct challenges compared to traditional silicon solar cells.
Stability and Durability Comparison
Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Cells:
- Recent developments have demonstrated monolithic perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells achieving certified power conversion efficiencies (PCE) as high as 29.3% and even beyond 33.9%. These tandem cells have shown promising stability metrics, with some devices retaining about 95% of their initial efficiency after 1000 hours of damp-heat testing (85°C, 85% relative humidity), a standard accelerated aging test for durability.
- Stability improvements have been achieved through advanced interfacial engineering, such as adding ultrathin magnesium fluoride (MgF2) interlayers, which mitigate nonradiative recombination and improve electron extraction, contributing to both efficiency and stability.
- Compositional strategies, including the use of mixed cation and mixed halide perovskites (e.g., Cs+, FA+, Pb2+ with I−, Br−, Cl−), along with additives like alkylammonium ions and self-assembled monolayers, have been employed to suppress defects, reduce halide phase segregation, and enhance the intrinsic stability of the perovskite layer within the tandem device.
- Despite these advances, perovskite layers remain susceptible to degradation mechanisms such as light-induced phase segregation, thermal stress, moisture ingress, and potential-induced degradation (PID) unique to the tandem architecture. These factors necessitate ongoing optimization of both the perovskite composition and cell/module encapsulation to achieve long-term operational stability comparable to silicon.
Traditional Silicon Cells:
- Single-junction crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells have been the industry standard for decades, exhibiting well-established, robust durability with operational lifetimes exceeding 25-30 years under real-world conditions.
- Silicon cells demonstrate excellent thermal, moisture, and photostability, with degradation rates typically below 0.5% per year, due to mature manufacturing processes and stable semiconductor properties.
Summary Table
| Feature | Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Cells | Traditional Silicon Cells |
|---|---|---|
| Power Conversion Efficiency | Up to ~33.9% (record high) | Typically 20–26% (single junction) |
| Tested Stability (Accelerated) | ~95% performance retention after 1000 hours | >25-30 years operational lifetime |
| Major Degradation Mechanisms | Moisture, heat, light-induced phase segregation, PID, delamination | Minor light-induced degradation, well understood |
| Stability Enhancements | MgF2 interlayers, mixed-cation/halide perovskite, additives, self-assembled monolayers | Mature passivation layers, robust encapsulation |
| Commercial Maturity | Emerging, needs further optimization | Established, industry standard |
Conclusion
While perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells have rapidly improved in both efficiency and stability, matching or surpassing some accelerated aging tests of silicon cells, their long-term durability under field conditions remains less proven than traditional silicon technology. Ongoing research focuses on mitigating intrinsic perovskite degradation pathways and addressing stability challenges unique to tandem architectures to enable their wide-scale commercialization alongside or beyond traditional silicon cells.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-do-the-durability-and-stability-of-perovskite-silicon-tandem-cells-compare-to-traditional-silicon-cells/
