Editor’s Note
This article explores the competitive development of next-generation photovoltaic technology, highlighting a potential shift from silicon and perovskite materials toward a more advanced, diamond-based solution.
In the current market landscape, which emphasizes maximizing renewable energy, photovoltaic panels stand out notably. Recently, Japan and China have embarked on a race to achieve their maximum performance.
Until now, the use of photovoltaic panels has been primarily associated with materials like silicon and, more recently, innovative perovskites (a relatively rare mineral in the Earth’s crust). However, these advances could become obsolete in the face of a revolutionary discovery: the potential of diamonds to improve the performance of solar panels.
This is how diamond solar panels emerge, an evolution beyond the traditional ones made with silicon and perovskite cells. The main key lies in replacing silicon with layers of “prepared” and doped synthetic diamond to turn it into an efficient semiconductor.
The reason for this procedure is that this gemstone is not a semiconductor in itself; doping it with certain elements makes it a very promising material.
Diamond possesses the highest known thermal conductivity, which could result in panels capable of rapidly dissipating excess heat that typically degrades silicon ones.
In addition to its extreme hardness and resistance, even against radiation, diamond offers exceptional electronic properties for capturing solar energy, such as high charge carrier mobility. In this sense, they could potentially offer efficiency at levels never before seen.
The main obstacle is the high cost.
Producing high-quality synthetic diamonds is expensive and technically complex, with the key research challenge being to find more efficient manufacturing methods.
Although generating this high-value stone with greater purity implies additional costs during manufacturing, there are alternatives to reduce costs based on a mixture composed of methane and carbon dioxide. However, this risk may not be worth it if its long-term efficiency is sacrificed.
Still, they face a difficult path to compete with pure silicon in terms of cost-benefit. It will take time to see what happens with this new material and, if used, the scope of its profitability.