Connect the Dots: Sequential Lamination in HDI PCB Manufacturing
Target Condition: The 5 Ws of PCB Design Constraints
Fresh PCB Concepts: More Than Compliance—A Human-centered Sustainability Approach
Tandem Breakthrough by Solliance Partners
April 26, 2021 | SollianceEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Solliance partners TNO, imec/EnergyVille and the Eindhoven University of Technology, realized a 18.6% efficient highly near infrared transparent perovskite solar cell. When combined in a four terminal tandem configuration with an efficient Panasonic crystalline silicon (c-Si) cell or with a Miasolé flexible CIGS cell, delivers new record power conversion efficiencies of 28.7% and 27.0%, respectively.
Tandem technology offers a viable and attractive route to increase the efficiency of commercial solar cells and modules. Four terminal tandems allow to build on experience and practices already available in the industry. In addition, four terminal perovskite/c-Si tandems can be applied broadly and are, for example, very beneficial in combination with bifacial c-Si solar cells which, depending on the actual albedo, can readily achieve a total power generation density as high as 320 W/m².
For this breakthrough, the expertises in perovskite solar cell processing and performance optimization of Solliance partners TNO, imec/EnergyVille and TU/e were combined to develop an efficient and highly near infrared transparent perovskite solar cell with an efficiency of 18.6%.
This perovskite solar cell was combined with different architectures of bottom solar cells and even with different cell technologies, which demonstrates the wide applicability of the 4-terminal tandem approach:
- with a prototype c-Si Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) Silicon Hetero Junction (SHJ) cell of Panasonic, a record tandem efficiency of 28.7% was obtained
- with a commercial c-Si Metal Wrap Through (MWT) SHJ cell of Choshu Industry and Co, developed by TNO, a tandem efficiency of 28.2% was obtained
- with a commercial c-Si Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) cell of Solarlab Aiko Europe GmbH, a tandem efficiency of 27.7% was achieved
- with a band gap optimised flexible CIGS cell of MiaSolé, a record tandem efficiency of 27.0% was realized
All of these results are more than 1.5% absolute efficiency improvements of earlier records obtained within the Solliance collaboration.
The lab scale perovskite solar cell has a size of 9 mm2. The performance measurement of the four terminal tandem was carried out according to a generally accepted procedure (J. Werner et al. ACS Energy Letters, vol. 1, pp. 474, 2016).
“This performance was achieved by tuning the opto-electrical properties of the perovskite solar cell to better match the optical properties of the bottom cell.” says Dr. Dong Zhang of TNO/Solliance. “Next, we determined the loss factors in the four terminal configuration and minimized these step by step” Dr. Zhang continues. “Finally, we optimized the light management of the complete tandem device, in other words, we maximized light absorption in the tandem solar cell.”
“These excellent results form the basis for the next phase in the development, which includes upscaling of the area and the processes.”, says Dr Mehrdad Najafi of TNO/Solliance. “Currently, low-cost upscaling processes for large area modules and maintaining the same performance are being developed by the Solliance partners TNO and imec/EnergyVille.”, concludes Dr. Najafi.
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
Advint and Sayron Bring Advanced Rectifier Solutions to High-Reliability PCB Manufacturers
08/01/2025 | Advint IncorporatedAdvint Incorporated has partnered with Sayron, a leading global rectifier manufacturer, to supply cutting-edge IGBT-based DC rectifiers to high-performance PCB manufacturers across North America and beyond. Sayron’s precision-engineered rectifiers align with the stringent requirements of advanced PCB processes.
Teramount Raises $50M to Address Growing Demand for AI Infrastructure Optical Connectivity
07/31/2025 | PRNewswireTeramount, the leader in scalable fiber-to-chip interconnect solutions for AI, data centers and advanced computing, today announced it has raised $50 million in financing led by new investor Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT). Existing investors Grove Ventures and several new strategic investors, including AMD Ventures, Hitachi Ventures, Samsung Catalyst Fund and Wistron, joined the round.
KOKI to Showcase Analytical Services and New HF1200 Solder Paste at SMTA Guadalajara 2025
07/31/2025 | KOKIKOKI, a global leader in advanced soldering materials and process optimization services, will exhibit at the SMTA Guadalajara Expo & Tech Forum, taking place September 17 & 18, 2025 at Expo Guadalajara, Salón Jalisco Halls D & E in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Global PCB Connections: Let the Spec Fit the Board, Not Just the Brand
07/17/2025 | Jerome Larez -- Column: Global PCB ConnectionsIf you’ve ever seen an excellent PCB quote delayed, or worse, go cold because of a single line on the fab print, you’re not alone. Often, that line reads something like, “Use 370HR only,” or “IT-180A required.” These and other brand-name materials are proven performers, but unless your design needs that specific resin system (say, for RF performance, thermal reliability, or stringent CAF resistance), you may inadvertently be holding your job hostage.
Digital Twin Concept in Copper Electroplating Process Performance
07/11/2025 | Aga Franczak, Robrecht Belis, Elsyca N.V.PCB manufacturing involves transforming a design into a physical board while meeting specific requirements. Understanding these design specifications is crucial, as they directly impact the PCB's fabrication process, performance, and yield rate. One key design specification is copper thieving—the addition of “dummy” pads across the surface that are plated along with the features designed on the outer layers. The purpose of the process is to provide a uniform distribution of copper across the outer layers to make the plating current density and plating in the holes more uniform.