Indium-doping boosts perovskite solar cell efficiency

The manufacturing technique involves adding a small amount of indium to a titanium oxide electron transport layer. According to the research, published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials, indium-doping improves both the conductivity of the transport layer and the band alignment at the perovskite interface compared to pure titanium oxide.

“The prospect of adding a few additional processing steps at the end of a silicon cell production line to make perovskite cells is very exciting and could boost solar efficiency from 25 per cent to 30 per cent," said Dr Tom White from the ANU Research School of Engineering.

Perovskite cells are good at converting visible light into electricity, while conventional silicon cells perform better with infrared light. Hybrid cells that use a combination of both materials have the potential to significantly improve the overall efficiency of solar technology.

"By combining these two cells, the perovskite cell and the silicon cell, we are able to make much better use of the solar energy and achieve higher efficiencies than either cell on its own," White added.