Indium-free HJT cell reaches 24.92% in the lab

Until now, heterojunction (HJT) solar cells have relied on indium-based transparent electrodes. According to pv magazine on 29/10/2026, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with Dinto Solar and Anhui Huasun, reached 24.92% efficiency by replacing that electrode with gallium-doped zinc oxide, with silver-coated copper contacts.

The result was 0.68% below the reference cell with indium on both sides, in the authors' terms, on a 210 by 105 mm wafer. The reason is in the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: China accounts for 70% of world indium refining, placed the metal under export restrictions in February 2025, and the estimated US price rose 11% in the year.

For HJT makers, an indium-free electrode reduces exposure to a costly, concentrated input. The data, however, comes from a lab cell. Between it and line revenue still lie modules, reliability testing and process scale-up.

Having an HJT manufacturer among the authors brings the study closer to production. The next verifiable milestone is the indium-free electrode appearing in a certified module.