Russia has developed a new type of semi transparent solar panel that can not only generate electricity but also transmit visible light

August 7th, 2024

According to media reports, the Russian State Research and Technology University has developed a new method of applying indium tin oxide transparent electrodes to perovskite solar cells, which can further improve the efficiency of solar cells and make them semi transparent.

Traditionally, the industry has widely used magnetron sputtering technology to apply ITO as a transparent electrode material in perovskite solar cells. However, this method faces significant challenges: ITO layers deposited by magnetron sputtering often have numerous defects, making it difficult to meet ideal performance requirements; More importantly, this process may also cause damage to the fragile perovskite layer and other battery components, severely restricting the overall efficiency improvement of the battery.

To solve this problem, the Russian research team has taken a unique approach and adopted advanced ion beam sputtering technology. This revolutionary method avoids the need for high-temperature environments and effectively protects the integrity of the battery’s various layer structures, ensuring that the ITO layer can be deposited on top of the perovskite solar cell in the optimal state, demonstrating excellent performance.

The experimental results show that the photoelectric conversion efficiency of semi transparent solar cells prepared by ion beam sputtering technology has achieved a qualitative leap, from 3.12% of ITO samples prepared by magnetron sputtering to 12.65%. This significant improvement not only proves the feasibility and superiority of the new technological route, but also opens up vast space for the future development of perovskite solar cells.

This research achievement is not only limited to improving efficiency, but also endows solar cells with new application dimensions. It makes it possible to manufacture high-performance series solar cells, which expand the absorption range of radiation spectra and greatly improve the utilization efficiency of sunlight by stacking multiple photosensitive materials. At the same time, semi transparent solar cells, with their unique light transmission characteristics, bring unprecedented creative space to architectural design, allowing solar cells to seamlessly integrate into various parts of buildings such as windows and exterior walls, achieving a perfect fusion of energy utilization and aesthetic design.