Perovskite—a Perfect Top Cell for Tandem Devices to Break the S–Q Limit

Abstract

Up to now, multijunction cell design is the only successful way demonstrated to overcome the Shockley–Quiesser limit for single solar cells. Perovskite materials have been attracting ever-increasing attention owing to their large absorption coefficient, tunable bandgap, low cost, and easy fabrication process. With their rapidly increased power conversion efficiency, organic–inorganic metal halide perovskite-based solar cells have demonstrated themselves as the most promising candidates for next-generation photovoltaic applications. In fact, it is a dream come true for researchers to finally find a perfect top-cell candidate in tandem device design in commercially developed solar cells like single-crystalline silicon and CIGS cells used as the bottom component cells. Here, the recent progress of multijunction solar cells is reviewed, including perovskite/silicon, perovskite/CIGS, perovskite/perovskite, and perovskite/polymer multijunction cells. In addition, some perspectives on using these solar cells in emerging markets such as in portable devices, Internet of Things, etc., as well as an outlook for perovskite-based multijunction solar cells are discussed.