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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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This New Breakthrough Method Could Make Solar Cells Cheaper, More Efficient and Easier to Produce

Solar energy is rapidly becoming one of the most important sources of clean electricity in the world. Solar cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, are now widely used in homes, businesses, industries and large power plants. By producing electricity without burning coal, oil or gas, solar technology is helping countries reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and cut carbon emissions.

Most solar panels used today are made from silicon. Silicon solar cells are reliable and efficient, but manufacturing them can be expensive and energy-intensive. For this reason, scientists and engineers are searching for alternative materials that could make solar power cheaper and easier to produce.

One of the most promising alternatives is a group of crystalline materials known as perovskites. Researchers believe that perovskite solar cells (PSCs) could eventually offer a lower-cost and highly efficient alternative to traditional silicon-based solar cells.

Now, researchers at Nanjing Tech University have developed a new method that could improve the way perovskite solar cells are manufactured. Their approach uses a special chemical to guide the formation of high-quality perovskite crystals during a manufacturing process known as vacuum deposition.

The result is a solar cell with impressive efficiency, strong stability and the potential for large-scale industrial production.

Why Perovskites Are Attracting Attention

Perovskites are crystalline materials with a special atomic structure that allows them to absorb sunlight very efficiently. This makes them particularly attractive for use in solar cells.

Compared with silicon, perovskite materials may also be cheaper and easier to process. They can potentially be used to create thin, lightweight solar cells and may be suitable for flexible solar panels and other advanced applications.

However, manufacturing high-quality perovskite solar cells on a large scale remains a challenge. The performance of these cells depends heavily on the quality of the perovskite layer. Even small defects in the material can reduce the amount of electricity a solar cell produces.

This is why researchers are exploring different production techniques to create stronger and more uniform perovskite films.

The Challenge of Vacuum Deposition

One promising manufacturing method is called vacuum deposition. In this process, materials are placed inside a chamber with very little air. The materials are then evaporated and deposited as extremely thin layers on a surface.

This method has several potential advantages. It can reduce or eliminate the need for solvents, which are chemicals commonly used in other methods of producing perovskite layers. It may also be easier to connect with existing industrial manufacturing processes.

However, vacuum deposition can sometimes produce perovskite films containing defects. These imperfections can interfere with the movement of electrical charges inside the solar cell, reducing its performance.

The researchers at Nanjing Tech University set out to solve this problem by controlling how the perovskite crystals form during the manufacturing process.

A Chemical That Guides Crystal Formation

The team's new approach uses a precursor material called formamidinium acetate.

According to the researchers, this material changes the chemical reaction pathway that takes place during vacuum deposition. It reacts with lead iodide, or PbI₂, and helps create tiny FAPbI₃ seed layers.

These tiny seed crystals act like templates. They guide the formation of the larger perovskite crystals that make up the solar cell's active layer.

This process allows the crystals to grow in a more organized way. The resulting perovskite film contains larger and better-structured crystals, which can improve the movement of electrical charges through the material.

The researchers also found that excess acetate can help reduce defects at the boundaries between individual crystals. These defects are important because they can cause electrical energy to be lost before it can be converted into useful electricity.

By reducing these imperfections, the new method helps the solar cell operate more efficiently.

Impressive Solar Cell Performance

After developing their improved manufacturing method, the researchers used it to create perovskite films and integrate them into working solar cells.

The results were highly promising. The solar cells achieved a power conversion efficiency of 25.53%, placing them among the highest-performing perovskite solar cells reported to date.

The devices also achieved an electroluminescence external quantum efficiency of 18.38%, another important measure of the quality of a solar cell.

Perhaps equally important was the stability of the devices.

The researchers reported that the solar cells retained more than 95% of their original power conversion efficiency after 1,000 hours under the ISOS-L-1 testing protocol.

Long-term stability has traditionally been one of the biggest challenges facing perovskite solar technology. Although perovskites can achieve high efficiencies, some devices have struggled to maintain their performance over time. The strong stability shown in this study therefore represents an important step forward.

A Step Toward Large-Scale Solar Manufacturing

One of the biggest advantages of the new method is that it does not require solvents. This solvent-free manufacturing process could make production simpler and potentially more compatible with existing industrial systems.

If the technique can be successfully scaled up, it could help manufacturers produce high-performance perovskite solar cells more efficiently.

The researchers believe their approach could also be adapted for the production of other advanced perovskite-based photovoltaic devices.

The findings are particularly significant because the solar industry is searching for technologies that can deliver both high efficiency and low manufacturing costs. Silicon remains the dominant material in the solar industry, but perovskites could eventually complement silicon or be used in new types of solar devices.

For example, perovskite materials could potentially be combined with silicon in tandem solar cells. Such devices use multiple layers to capture a wider range of sunlight and could achieve higher efficiencies than conventional single-material solar cells.

The Road Ahead for Perovskite Solar Technology

Despite the promising results, more research is needed before perovskite solar cells can achieve widespread commercial use. Scientists must continue to improve their long-term durability, manufacturing consistency and environmental performance.

Nevertheless, the latest research offers an important solution to one of the key challenges in perovskite manufacturing: controlling the formation of high-quality crystals during vacuum deposition.

By using formamidinium acetate to guide crystal growth and reduce defects, the Nanjing Tech University team has demonstrated a practical way to improve both the efficiency and stability of fully vacuum-deposited perovskite solar cells.

As the global demand for clean and affordable energy continues to grow, breakthroughs like this could play an important role in the future of solar power.

The new research suggests that perovskite solar cells are moving closer to becoming a practical technology for large-scale manufacturing. With further development, they could help make solar electricity more efficient, more affordable and more accessible around the world.

Reference: Xu, Y., Pan, T., Shi, X. et al. Controlled solid-state crystallization with formamidinium acetate for fully vacuum-deposited perovskite solar cells. Nat Energy (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-026-02093-8

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