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A team of researchers from Suzhou University, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has created a composite layer that does not contain indium. This material utilizes a molecular bridge between perovskite and silicon to enhance the efficiency and long-term stability of tandem solar cells.

Overcoming Critical Barriers

Researchers from Suzhou University, led by Professors Yan Xinbo and Zhang Xiaohun, developed this composite layer in cooperation with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and various partners from the photovoltaic industry. It forms a molecular bridge between the perovskite and crystalline silicon layers in tandem solar cells. This achievement resolves two serious problems facing perovskite and silicon-based tandem photodetectors: charge loss at the interface of the two materials and reduced long-term stability, which hindered the commercial implementation of such architectures.

Principle of Molecular Bridge Operation

The molecular bridge functions at the atomic level. The Suzhou team developed a self-assembling monolayer that chemically bonds to both the perovskite surface and the silicon surface. This creates a continuous electronic pathway for efficient charge transport while passivating defects and suppressing non-radiative recombination.

Significance of Indium Elimination

The elimination of indium is particularly significant. Indium tin oxide has traditionally been used as a transparent conductive layer in displays and photovoltaic devices. However, indium is classified as a critical material subject to concentration risks in the supply chain and rising costs due to demand from the display industry. The new composite layer completely excludes indium, replacing it with more accessible and less expensive materials that provide comparable or better optical transparency and electrical conductivity. This substitution removes both the cost barrier to the commercialization of tandem solar cells and the risk of material supply disruption that concerned the photovoltaic industry.

Prospects for Industrialization

This research marks progress toward the industrialization of next-generation photovoltaic technologies. Theoretically, perovskite-silicon tandem cells can demonstrate efficiencies exceeding the Shockley-Queisser limit for single-junction silicon cells, which is around 29%. Laboratory tandem cells have already exceeded 33% efficiency, but translating these results into commercially viable products requires solving issues of interface stability and production scalability, which is the focus of the molecular bridge approach. The Suzhou team's work suggests that molecular engineering at the perovskite-silicon interface can simultaneously improve efficiency and operational lifespan, eliminating two of the most critical obstacles to commercialization. The model of university-industry collaboration accelerates the transition from laboratory development to manufacturing. With successful scaling, the molecular bridge technique could strengthen China's leadership in solar energy while reducing dependence on indium.

China's computing power reached 962 EFLOPS, securing second place globally. Furthermore, sales of artificial intelligence servers exceeded sales of general servers for the first time. Five key areas define the future development of the industry: high-performance computing, energy efficiency, domestic substitution, global expansion, and computing services.

Market Overview in 2025

According to the '2025 China Server Industry Development Report,' presented at the Smart Computing Foundation event on July 23-24, China's total computing power in 2025 was 962 EFLOPS, accounting for 21% of the global volume. The structure of computing has undergone radical changes: the growth of AI computing significantly outpaces the growth rates of both general and supercomputing systems, becoming the main source of growth.

Financial Indicators and Sales Structure

In 2025, China exported 4.727 million server units, generating revenue of 466.26 billion yuan. This represents a growth of 14.7% and 55.3% compared to the same period last year. The average price per unit reached approximately 111,900 yuan, reflecting a structural shift towards AI servers equipped with high-performance chips and HBM.

AI servers surpassed general servers in sales for the first time in 2025. The AI server market in China reached 761,000 sold units with revenue of 253.03 billion yuan, demonstrating an annual growth of 69.1% and 83.4% respectively. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2021 to 2025 was 34.7% by volume and 63.3% by revenue, which is significantly higher than the growth of the general server segment.

Demand Concentration and Growth Directions

Market demand is highly concentrated: five leading sectors—internet companies, telecommunications operators, government, data center service providers, and financial institutions—collectively accounted for 90.5% of the market. Only internet companies generated 170.04 billion yuan, supported by the race for large models and infrastructure development.

The high-performance computing direction shows the most confident growth, as the revenue growth rate of AI servers significantly exceeds the growth of both general servers and the company's overall revenue. Energy efficiency is viewed as a long-term trend driven by policy, since traditional air-cooled servers cannot support large, high-density load clusters, making the adoption of liquid cooling inevitable.

The domestic substitution direction through Xinchuang ensures stable growth, supported by policy, as state, financial, energy, and military sectors accelerate the replacement with domestic servers to ensure information security and supply chain autonomy. Global expansion opens up long-term growth opportunities, as developing markets abroad continue to actively build out computing infrastructure. Computing services represent a path to increased profitability: the traditional sale of low-margin hardware is transforming into compute leasing, cluster management, and provision of customized solutions, which improves revenue stability and gross profit.

Key Industry Challenges

Key challenges facing the industry include trade barriers in supply chains, competition from foreign manufacturers, industry cycle risks, saturation of universal servers, and rapid technological updates. The report recommends strategically positioning in all five directions while simultaneously strengthening supply chain resilience.

OPPO has officially unveiled the standard version of the K15 smartphone. The device is available starting from 2299 yuan, and after receiving a national subsidy, its price drops to 1954 yuan. It will be sold in two color options—Speed White and Speed Gray—in a configuration of 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

Design and Key Features

The K15 features the Speed Aesthetics design language, which incorporates a Lanying element with breathing light on the back panel. This light dynamically changes light effects when viewed from different angles, enhancing the device's recognizability while maintaining OPPO's signature style. Despite its large battery capacity, the phone remains portable, weighing only 205 grams and having a profile of 8.27 mm.

Performance and Cooling

The smartphone's performance is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7360 Super chip, optimized by the X-tide engine. The new Stormthermal thermal regulation system is equipped with an active cooling fan—a rarity in the mid-range segment. This feature is designed to maintain stable performance during extended gaming sessions and intensive application use through coordinated hardware and software heat management.

Protection and Display

The device boasts an IP69 dust and water resistance rating, ensuring reliable protection against fine dust ingress and high-temperature water jets. This is a significant improvement over the standard IP68 rating found on most flagship models. The camera system consists of three modules: a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 50MP front camera. OPPO has tuned this system for optimal performance in portrait, landscape, and general everyday photos.

Battery and Connectivity

The K15's battery has a capacity of 8000mAh, one of the largest capacities in the OPPO lineup. It supports 80W SuperVOOC fast charging. The combination of a huge battery and fast charging aims to solve the main problem for mid-range users who prioritize endurance over a slim body. Connectivity includes dual-frequency GPS combined with three-band BeiDou satellite positioning, full-featured NFC, and infrared remote control. The device also implements OPPO ZhilianSignal technology to improve connection stability in weak signal areas, features an under-display short-focus optical fingerprint scanner, and stereo speakers. The phone runs on ColorOS, based on the latest Android version, with OPPO guaranteeing long-term software updates for the K series.

Market Entry Strategy

The launch of the K15 aligns with OPPO's overall strategy of integrating flagship features into the mid-range segment. The inclusion of IP69 waterproofing, an active cooling fan, and an 8000mAh battery at a subsidized price below 2000 yuan demonstrates an aggressive placement of features in the competitive Chinese mid-range smartphone market. The target audience for the device consists of users who prioritize battery longevity, reliability, and stable performance for gaming and media consumption over ultra-slim design or premium photographic capabilities.