PhD - Genk | Just now
As the global demand for clean energy intensifies, photovoltaic (PV) technologies are evolving to deliver higher efficiencies and improved sustainability. Among these, tandem solar cells, particularly perovskite/silicon combinations, offer a promising route to surpass the efficiency limits of conventional single-junction cells. By stacking two complementary absorbers, tandem cells can harvest a broader spectrum of sunlight, pushing conversion efficiencies beyond 30%.
To translate these high-efficiency cells into real-world applications, they must be integrated into PV modules, which involve electrically interconnecting individual cells and encapsulating them for durability. This process, however, introduces new challenges for tandem architectures that are more sensitive to thermal and mechanical stress. Moreover, the PV industry faces increasing pressure to reduce reliance on scarce or critical raw materials, such as silver, indium, and bismuth, which pose strong limitations to scalability and sustainability.
This PhD project aims to develop a novel multiwire interconnection technology tailored for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, which are highly sensitive to temperature and material constraints. The goal is to create a solder-free, ultra-low-temperature (≤130 °C) interconnection method that avoids critical raw materials such as bismuth and is compatible with emerging metallization schemes like copper or low-silver contacts.
The research will begin by transforming imec’s existing TWILL technology into a push-contact approach, eliminating the need for soldering. Key focus areas include understanding adhesion and reliability mechanisms between wires/ribbons and solar cells, evaluating mechanical stress and strain, and studying interactions with encapsulants. Beyond experimental development, the project ambitions to also assess the environmental impact of the proposed method using life cycle analysis (LCA).
This work contributes to the scientific advancement of scalable, sustainable interconnection strategies for tandem photovoltaics.
Required background: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science Engineering, Electrical Engineering
Type of work: 75% experimental, 25% literature
Supervisor: Michael Daenen
Daily advisor: Valerie Depauw
The reference code for this position is 2026-194. Mention this reference code on your application form.