New opportunities for CIGS solar cells
PVcomB conducts research and technological improvement on CIGS solar cells, in close cooperation with industrial partners. © A. Kubatzki/HZB
More than 90 participants from industry and academia from Europe, Asia and USA exchanged latest results in the field of CIGS solar cells, during the “IW-CIGSTech 6” organised by PVcomB. © A. Kubatzki/HZB
Dynamic CIGS solar cell technology workshop gives rise to optimism: experts predict higher efficiencies and lean production technologies
More than 90 participants from industry and academia from Europe, Asia and USA exchanged latest results in the field of CIGS solar cells, during the “IW-CIGSTech 6” organised by PVcomB at HZB in Berlin-Adlershof from 29. to 30. April. They reported new, exciting results, ranging from record module efficiencies and significant module manufacturing simplification to solid scientific understanding of the underlying atomic-scale physics and chemistry.
CIGS-thin film solar cells are based on compound semiconductors consisting of the elements Copper, Indium, Gallium and Selenium and Sulphur. They are the most efficient thin-film solar cell technology to date. PVcomB conducts research and technological improvement on CIGS solar cells, in close cooperation with industrial partners. “We have seen very remarkable improvements in CIGS technology over the past year and many exciting new industrial and academic results were presented at the workshop”, says Rutger Schlatmann, head of the institute PVcomB at the HZB, explicitly mentioning following examples:
• A strong increase in world record cell efficiency to almost 22%, and a clear, scientifically based outlook towards 25% cells in the coming years.
• World record module efficiencies well above 16%.
• Restart of CIGS production capacity in Germany and upcoming remarkable expansion of production capacity worldwide.
• Production process simplifications (e.g. reduction of number of process steps).
• Very promising results in the field of wet processing, e.g. electrochemical deposition.
• Improved process control achieving a remarkable 98% process yield.
• Product development for very specific applications (large solar power plants with very low cost electrical power, aesthetic appearance and flexibility in design for BIPV).
“Summarizing the impressions of the workshop, there is a powerful community of CIGS technologists and academics. Many of them report rapid progress in development and there is an optimistic view on the successful growth of CIGS photovoltaics” Schlatmann concludes.
- BESSY II: Evaporated perovskites in tandem solar cells improvedPerovskite-silicon tandem solar cells achieve significantly higher efficiencies than silicon solar cells on their own. One particularly attractive method is co-evaporation of the perovskite precursor molecules on top of the silicon subcell. Scientists at HZB have analysed film growth on the nanoscale at BESSY II and found a new way to improve the quality of the perovskite layer: adding a thin seed layer of caesium chloride between the two sub-cells promotes uniform perovskite growth and suppresses the formation of undesired lead iodide at the interface.
- Hatice Mutlu appointed to the Helmholtz Institute HIPOLE in JenaProf. Dr Hatice Mutlu is the new professor of sustainable polymer chemistry at HIPOLE Jena, the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications. On 17 August 2026, she visited the HZB campus in Berlin-Adlershof including the BESSY II lightsource and discussed future collaboration with researchers and the board of directors.
- Green hydrogen with PEC electrolysers: New insights into transport processesOne method of storing solar energy is to use PEC electrolysers to produce hydrogen. However, scaling up this technology remains challenging. Now, a team at the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels has used 2D fluorescence imaging and particle velocimetry to observe the movement of ions and dissolved gases within the electrolyte during electrolysis. These new insights may prove useful in the development of larger PEC electrolysers.