Exploring the Feasibility and Performance of Perovskite/Antimony Selenide Four-Terminal Tandem Solar Cells

• Published in: Solar Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 222 - 231
• Main Authors: Menon, Harigovind, Amin, Al, Duan, Xiaomeng, Vijayaraghavan, S. N., Wall, Jacob, Xiang, Wenjun, Khawaja, Kausar Ali, Yan, Feng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 03-04-2024
• Subjects: antimony selenide solar cell; four terminal; perovskite solar cells; SCAPS solar cell simulation; tandem solar cells
• ISSN: 2673-9941; 2673-9941
• DOI: 10.3390/solar4020010

The tandem solar cell presents a potential solution to surpass the Shockley–Queisser limit observed in single-junction solar cells. However, creating a tandem device that is both cost-effective and highly efficient poses a significant challenge. In this study, we present proof of concept for a four-terminal (4T) tandem solar cell utilizing a wide bandgap (1.6–1.8 eV) perovskite top cell and a narrow bandgap (1.2 eV) antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) bottom cell. Using a one-dimensional (1D) solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS), our calculations indicate the feasibility of this architecture, projecting a simulated device performance of 23% for the perovskite/Sb2Se3 4T tandem device. To validate this, we fabricated two wide bandgap semitransparent perovskite cells with bandgaps of 1.6 eV and 1.77 eV, respectively. These were then mechanically stacked with a narrow bandgap antimony selenide (1.2 eV) to create a tandem structure, resulting in experimental efficiencies exceeding 15%. The obtained results demonstrate promising device performance, showcasing the potential of combining perovskite top cells with the emerging, earth-abundant antimony selenide thin film solar technology to enhance overall device efficiency.