A Japanese research team has developed a new technology capable of boosting the conversion rate of Perovskite PV cell by 16.82%.

The team, consisting of researchers from Kanazawa University and Tokai University, has achieved the breakthrough via employment of a brand new electronic transport layer, which comprises two titanium-oxide layers. The layer controls electron and hole, thereby generating electric current and voltage.

Perovskite PV cell features low-temperature manufacturing, lower-cost materials, and spraying or printing technology, suitable for the production of flexible or large-sized PV cells. It is one of emerging PV cells, meant to substitute for silicon PV cells, which need to be produced in a vacuum with temperature exceeding 1,000 ℃.

The team first produced nano brookite particles via environment-friendly low-temperature hydrophilic method and spray solution onto transparent glass before heating it to 450 ℃ for the production of anatase layer. Then multi-phase anatase-brookite and brookite-anatase combinations were produced, as well as single-phase antatase-brookite electronic transport layer. Researchers then compared and measured their optical and structural features before selecting the one most suitable for use in PV cell.

It was found that employment of anatase-brookite transport player can boost power conversion rate by 16.82%, the highest, according to Koji Tomita, associate professor at Tokai University.

Md. Shahiduzzaman, first author of the paper on the study, pointed out that the combinations of the materials can prevent regrouping of electric charge between perovskite and electronic transport layer, leading to higher PV conversion rate.

(Collaborate media: TechNews, first photo is for illustration, courtesy of ESA_events via Flickr CC BY 2.0)