Possible top cells for next-generation Si-based tandem solar cells

Abstract

Si-based solar cells, which have the advantages of high efficiency, low manufacturing costs, and outstanding stability, are dominant in the photovoltaic market. Currently, state-of-the-art Si-based solar cells are approaching the practical limit of efficiency. Constructing Si-based tandem solar cells is one available pathway to break the theoretical efficiency limit of single-junction silicon solar cells. Various top cells have been explored recently in the construction of Si-based tandem devices. Nevertheless, many challenges still stand in the way of extensive commercial application of Si-based tandem solar cells. Herein, we summarize the recent progress of representative Si-based tandem solar cells with different top cells, such as III-V solar cells, wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells, cadmium telluride (CdTe)-related solar cells, Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)₂ (CIGS)-related solar cells, and amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells, and we analyze the main bottlenecks for their next steps of development. Subsequently, we suggest several potential candidate top cells for Si-based tandem devices, such as Sb₂S₃, Se, CdSe, and Cu₂O. These materials have great potential for the development of high-performance and low-cost Si-based tandem solar cells in the future.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

photovoltaic market / Si-based solar cell / efficiency limit / tandem / top cell

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61725401 and 61904058), the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2016YFA0204000), the Innovation Fund of Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talent (No. BX20190127), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Project (No. 2019M662623), and the Graduates’ Innovation Fund of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (No. 2019ygscxcy022).

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