imec demonstrates 11% efficiency for perovskite PV module
15 July 2015 
The efficiency was measured over an aperture area of 160mm2. This achievement is the best conversion efficiency for perovskite modules in literature, reports the centre.
Organometal halide perovskites have shown high conversion efficiencies at cell level, making them a material of choice for thin-film solar cells, which remain behind thin film solar cells in terms of power conversion efficiency. Further improvements are needed to make thin-film photovoltaics an attractive technology for industrial production. Larger area processing and narrow interconnections are prerequisites for processing efficient thin-film modules.
Imec’s perovskite module also achieve a geometrical fill factor of more than 95%. They have been fabricated by the conventional lab scale spin coating process. A linear coating technique (blade coating) was used for all layers, to prove industrially viable fabrication methods.
Both glass-based and thin-film perovskite PV technology are widely considered as important technologies. Research is also being conducted by imec to increase the conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells by stacking a perovskite cell on top of a silicon solar cell. The perovskite cell will capture the light which is not absorbed by silicon, as such enabling conversion efficiencies of more than 30%.