-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueAdvancing the Advanced Materials Discussion
Moore’s Law is no more, and the advanced material solutions to grapple with this reality are surprising, stunning, and perhaps a bit daunting. Buckle up for a dive into advanced materials and a glimpse into the next chapters of electronics manufacturing.
Inventing the Future With SEL
Two years after launching its state-of-the-art PCB facility, SEL shares lessons in vision, execution, and innovation, plus insights from industry icons and technology leaders shaping the future of PCB fabrication.
Sales: From Pitch to PO
From the first cold call to finally receiving that first purchase order, the July PCB007 Magazine breaks down some critical parts of the sales stack. To up your sales game, read on!
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
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.
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
Now Available—The Companion Guide to… SMT Inspection: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond: Mastering Metrology for Advanced Semiconductor Packages
10/01/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is pleased to announce the release of an 18-page resource for engineers, technologists, and decision-makers in electronics manufacturing: The Companion Guide to SMT Inspection: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond: Mastering Metrology for Advanced Semiconductor Packages.
Target Condition: Rethinking the PCB Stackup Recipe
10/01/2025 | Kelly Dack -- Column: Target ConditionMarie Antoinette is attributed with saying, “Let them eat cake,” but historians now agree she likely never said it. It was probably revolutionary propaganda to paint her as out of touch with the starving masses. Yet, the phrase still lingers, and oddly enough, it applies to the world of PCB design.
Empower Sets New Benchmark with 20x Faster Response and Breakthrough Sustainability Demonstrated at OCP Global Summit 2025
09/25/2025 | Empower SemiconductorEmpower Semiconductor, the world leader in powering AI-class processors, announced that its Crescendo chipset, an artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) processor true vertical power delivery platform, is available now for final sampling, with mass production slated for late 2025.
Summit Interconnect Announces Appointment of Leo LaCroix as Chief Operating Officer
09/09/2025 | Summit Interconnect, Inc.Summit Interconnect, a leading North American manufacturer of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), today announced that Leo LaCroix has assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO).
UHDI Fundamentals: UHDI Technology and Industry 4.0
09/03/2025 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsUltra high density interconnect (UHDI) technology is rapidly transforming how smart systems are designed and deployed in the context of Industry 4.0. With its capacity to support highly miniaturized, high-performance, and densely packed electronics, UHDI is a critical enabler of the smart, connected, and automated industrial future. Here, I’ll explore the synergy between UHDI and Industry 4.0 technologies, highlighting applications, benefits, and future directions.