Towards Commercialization of Perovskite Solar Cells: Fabrication, Lifetime, and Lead Toxicity

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have seen rapid improvement in efficiency recently. As of 2021, the record efficiency is 25.5% and is increasing at a rate of 1% per year. This efficiency is comparable to that of crystalline silicon solar cells. Moreover, PSCs can be prepared using an inexpensive solution process. These two factors give PSCs great potential for revolutionizing the photovoltaics industry. However, most PSCs have a small cell area (~0.1 cm2), short lifetime (~1000 h), and contain lead, which is toxic to the human body. These factors hinder the market prospect of PSCs. In this work, we reviewed the recent progress towards the commercialization of PSCs. First, fabrication methods able to prepare large-area, high-quality perovskite film are summarized. Then, we discussed methods to improve the lifetime of PSCs in both ideal and actual environments, emphasizing encapsulation techniques. Finally, we reviewed the various approaches to fabricate stable, high-efficiency lead-free PSCs.