Recent Perovskite News - Page 2

UtmoLight has partnered with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to jointly establish an International Joint Perovskite Laboratory. 

The laboratory is supported by UtmoLight’s Global Innovation Center and features over 6,000 m² of laboratory space with a professional R&D team of more than 100 researchers. Through the joint lab, the partners will conduct collaborative research on cutting-edge perovskite technologies, build a talent co-development and knowledge-sharing mechanism, and jointly promote the industrialization of perovskite PV technologies.

Trinasolar has announced that its innovation platform has achieved a critical technological milestone. Setting its sights on Space PV, the platform has reportedly "broken the world record for power output with its large-area (3.1 m²) perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem modules, reaching 886W". This achievement, along with significant efficiency gains in perovskite/P-type heterojunction (HJT) tandem cells, signals a step toward the next generation of space-based energy. 

While gallium arsenide (GaAs) cells currently dominate space applications, their high cost remains a barrier. As demand for LEO communications and space computing surges, crystalline silicon cells and perovskite cells are expected to see rapid adoption. In particular, P-type HJT and perovskite tandem technologies have emerged as the primary focus for the next generation of Space PV. Trina solar is executing a forward-looking strategy in the Space Solar sector. The company’s exploration in this field dates back a decade, when it took the lead in conducting irradiation testing and research on silicon solar cells under space-environment conditions. These early initiatives allowed it to accumulate experimental data and engineering experience, providing a foundation for subsequent technical evolution. 

A research team, led by DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology), recently reported a perovskite-based betavoltaic cell (PBC) incorporating formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI₃) and carbon-14 nanoparticles, achieving an energy conversion efficiency of 10.79% - which the team claims to be 'unprecedented'. 

Schematic illustration of (A) the fabrication of the PBC and (B) working principle of the PBC. Image credit: Carbon Energy

The work targets applications that require continuous reliable power without external charging, such as artificial intelligence systems, internet of things devices, and space exploration hardware operating in harsh or inaccessible environments.

Researchers from the University of Barcelona, Jaume I University, Slovak University of Technology and University of Valencia have engineered ultrasensitive photodetectors based on inkjet-printed nanocrystalline films of mixed-phase “raisin bread” CsPbBr₃/Cs₄PbBr₆ perovskite integrated onto graphene. By embedding photoactive CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals within a wider-bandgap Cs₄PbBr₆ matrix, the team creates a composite architecture that enhances charge confinement while simultaneously improving environmental stability relative to conventional perovskite films.

The raisin-bread morphology plays a central role in suppressing non-radiative recombination and mitigating degradation pathways that typically limit metal-halide perovskites in photodetector operation. In this configuration, the Cs₄PbBr₆ host passivates the surface of CsPbBr₃ nanodomains and acts as a protective scaffold, helping preserve optoelectronic properties over extended operation under ambient conditions. Coupled with solution-based inkjet deposition, this strategy demonstrates that complex phase-engineered perovskite microstructures can be reproducibly formed over large areas in a maskless, vacuum-free process, supporting low-cost, scalable manufacturing.

Researchers from China's Xidian University and the China Electronic Product Reliability and Environmental Testing Research Institute recently proposed an efficient and scalable strategy for water-mist-induced surface reconstruction of all-inorganic cesium-lead-bromide (CsPbBr₃) films - one of the most stable and promising halide perovskites for photovoltaic solar cells. While CsPbBr₃ features a high absorption coefficient and simple preparation method, solution-processed films typically suffer from significant surface defects and roughness, resulting in large open-circuit voltage (VOC) loss and limited solar cell efficiency.

To tackle these challenges, the team developed a low-cost, vacuum-free mist chemical vapor deposition (Mist-CVD) system inspired by the Leidenfrost effect, which leverages controlled water-mist interactions to guide perovskite crystallization rather than degradation. Under optimized conditions of 275 °C for 30 minutes, the mist-treated films showed a phase transformation from impurity phases (Cs₄PbBr₆, CsPb₂Br₅) to pure CsPbBr₃, significantly reducing surface roughness from 29.8 nm to 12.7 nm and yielding highly uniform, defect-minimized films.

This is a sponsored article by by Sheldon Wayman, Thin Film Sensor Specialist, INFICON

Solar technology demands longer lifetime and higher efficiency with every advancement in process steps and chemistries. Even the smallest deviations in layer thickness or uniformity can have detrimental results to both. Contamination, too, can have devastating effects on lifetime and performance. Monitoring real-time process conditions within the chamber and the optimization layer deposition are both explored within this article. These can be the difference in realizing the successful vision of both improved lifetime and efficiency in the next generation of solar panels.

The Hidden Challenge in Perovskite Solar Cell Production

Perovskite solar cells are celebrated for their high efficiency and flexibility. But behind the scenes, manufacturing these panels is a balancing act of precision in every stage of production. Each organic layer must be deposited with nanometer accuracy and every interface must remain uncontaminated. Detection, analysis, and control are all critical to the manufacturing process.

Perovskite manufacturer Perovs reportedly announced that its mass-produced rigid large-area perovskite modules achieved a certified conversion efficiency of 20.87% on a 1.2 × 0.6 m² area, with an output power of 150.26 W, as verified by TÜV NORD. The company emphasized that this result was achieved using standard mass-production processes on a commercially relevant large-area module format.

Perovs currently operates a 100 MW perovskite pilot line in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. The company also disclosed that it is constructing a 1 GW perovskite manufacturing facility in Chongqing, which is expected to be structurally topped out in February this year.

Researchers from Xiamen University, Xi'an Jiaotong University and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University have developed a Molecular Press Annealing (MPA) strategy that addresses long-standing challenges associated with thermal annealing of perovskite solar cells.

Thermal annealing - essential for achieving high crystallinity and performance in perovskite films - has traditionally led to undesirable side effects such as surface iodine loss, lattice degradation, and defect formation. These issues create instability and degrade the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells. To overcome this, the team developed the MPA technique that combines heat and pressure with molecular engineering to “heal” perovskite surfaces in real time.

Researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shaanxi Normal University, Korea University, National University of Singapore, National Technical University of Athens and University of Manchester have reported a method to enhance both the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

The research team achieved this by fine-tuning the molecules that coat the perovskite surfaces. They utilized specially designed small molecules, known as amidinium ligands, which act like a molecular “glue” to hold the perovskite structure together.

Jinko Solar recently announced a strategic cooperation agreement with XtalPi , a platform company that empowers R&D innovation with artificial intelligence and robotics. The two companies will jointly establish a joint venture to promote the collaborative R&D of high-throughput perovskite tandem solar cells based on AI technology.

Image credit: Jinko Solar

According to the agreement, the two parties will jointly build the world's first fully closed-loop perovskite-crystalline silicon tandem experimental line of "AI decision-making-robot execution-data feedback". Relying on Jinko Solar's photovoltaic R&D knowledge and XtalPi's unique advantages in fields like quantum physics algorithms, AI prediction models and large-scale robotic automated experiments, the focus will be on creating high-efficiency and high-stability perovskite tandem solar cells.