A research team has demonstrated meter-scale perovskite solar modules with certified efficiencies of 24.0% on an 810 cm² aperture area and 22.0% on a 0.72 m² total area. The work addresses a key barrier to commercialization: the difficulty of applying effective surface passivation during large-area, ambient manufacturing.
Conventional high-performance perovskite cells rely on ammonium halide passivators, which are sensitive to humidity and typically require inert-atmosphere processing. These materials also distribute unevenly during slot-die coating, the standard method for scaling up production.
The researchers replaced ammonium halides with chemically stable lead carboxylates, specifically lead dioleate. They first engineered the perovskite film surface to be enriched with formamidinium iodide using a high-saturation vapor pressure solvent system composed of 2-methoxyethanol, 1,3-dioxolane, and dimethyl sulfoxide.
Treating this tailored surface with lead dioleate improved both carrier transport and surface passivation. The process is compatible with ambient conditions and slot-die coating, enabling uniform coverage over large areas.
The resulting modules passed all IEC 61215 reliability tests, the international standard for terrestrial photovoltaic module design qualification. The certified efficiencies represent the highest reported values for scalable, industrially viable perovskite photovoltaics to date.
The study demonstrates a pathway to combine high efficiency with manufacturing practicality. By using stable passivators and ambient-compatible processing, the approach removes a major obstacle to moving perovskite technology from the laboratory to industrial production.
Lead carboxylates passivation for meter-scale perovskite solar modules
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