Research Perspective for Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

Multi-absorbers, and tandem solar cells (TSCs), have enticed research focus with their competitive advantage of crossing the limits posed by Shockley-Queisser efficiency by single-junction solar cell (SC). Perovskite solar cells (PSC) with their bandgap tunability and ease of solution processing at low temperatures for securing high efficiency (25.8%) provide an ideal candidate for top cell in TSC. Simultaneously, Si SCs with a 95% market share and their ideal low bandgap (1.12 eV) for capturing high-energy photons in the near-infrared (NIR) can assume bottom cell in TSC. This review highlights the research perspective for perovskite/Si TSCs to expedite its emergence as future TSC. The 4T device architecture of perovskite/Si TSC optically couples the subcells whereas the 2T configuration ensures the optical and electrical coupling among the constituent subcells. The semitransparency of the top cell, flat as well as textured Si bottom cell, matching of the current between the subcell through the recombination and tunnel junction layers, and modification of perovskites through-thickness variation are few worth-considering factors that contribute toward highly efficient perovskite/Si TSC. Finally, the research insight about perovskite/Si and all-perovskite TSC is analyzed with reference to the ideal choice for the bottom cell. In this review, the semitransparency and bandgap tuning of top perovskite solar cells in perovskite/Si tandem solar cells (TSCs) are highlighted. It also brings forth insight into the optical coupling, current matching, tunnel junction, and recombination layers between the subcells of tandem configuration for highly efficient perovskite/Si TSCs.image (c) 2023 WILEY-VCH GmbH