Silicon Solar Cell Design for >30% Efficiency via Singlet Fission
Abstract
Singlet fission (SF) materials convert high-energy photons into multiple charge carriers, providing a route to exceed the efficiency limits of single-junction silicon solar cells without many of the complexities of multi-junction tandem designs. Following the first demonstration of an SF-enhanced silicon solar cell in 2025, there is a need to understand how SF materials can be effectively integrated into high-efficiency industrial silicon devices and translated from proof of concept to a manufacturable technology. Using coupled optical and electrical simulations, we assess the efficiency potential of several industrially relevant silicon cell architectures combined with SF materials. Interdigitated back-contact (IBC) cells offer the greatest potential for improvement due to unrestricted front-surface access and can achieve efficiencies exceeding 33%. However, performance is highly sensitive to front-surface passivation quality. Appropriate silicon design, particularly controlled surface doping and fixed interfacial charge, can mitigate recombination losses and relax passivation requirements for ultra-thin exciton-transfer layers.
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BibTeX
@misc{mcnab2026silicon,
title = {{Silicon Solar Cell Design for >30% Efficiency via Singlet Fission}},
author = {Shona McNab and Phoebe Pearce and Pietro P. Altermatt and Jingnan Tong and Ruy Sebastian Bonilla and Timothy W. Schmidt and Murad J. Y. Tayebjee and Bram Hoex and Alison Ciesla and Michael P. Nielsen and Nicholas J. Ekins Daukes},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.10979},
eprint = {2609.10979},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.10979},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Silicon Solar Cell Design for >30% Efficiency via Singlet Fission
AU - Shona McNab
AU - Phoebe Pearce
AU - Pietro P. Altermatt
AU - Jingnan Tong
AU - Ruy Sebastian Bonilla
AU - Timothy W. Schmidt
AU - Murad J. Y. Tayebjee
AU - Bram Hoex
AU - Alison Ciesla
AU - Michael P. Nielsen
AU - Nicholas J. Ekins Daukes
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/10
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.10979
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.10979
AB - Singlet fission (SF) materials convert high-energy photons into multiple charge carriers, providing a route to exceed the efficiency limits of single-junction silicon solar cells without many of the complexities of multi-junction tandem designs. Following the first demonstration of an SF-enhanced silicon solar cell in 2025, there is a need to understand how SF materials can be effectively integrated into high-efficiency industrial silicon devices and translated from proof of concept to a manufacturable technology. Using coupled optical and electrical simulations, we assess the efficiency potential of several industrially relevant silicon cell architectures combined with SF materials. Interdigitated back-contact (IBC) cells offer the greatest potential for improvement due to unrestricted front-surface access and can achieve efficiencies exceeding 33%. However, performance is highly sensitive to front-surface passivation quality. Appropriate silicon design, particularly controlled surface doping and fixed interfacial charge, can mitigate recombination losses and relax passivation requirements for ultra-thin exciton-transfer layers.
ER -