Silica nanoparticles on front glass for efficiency enhancement in superstrate-type amorphous silicon solar cells.
11 November 2013
Abstract
Antireflective coating on front glass of superstrate-type single junction amorphous silicon solar cells (SCs) has been applied using highly monodispersed and stable silica nanoparticles (NPs). The silica NPs having 300 nm diameter were synthesized by Stober technique where the size of the NPs was controlled by varying the alcohol medium. The synthesized silica NPs were analysed by dynamic light scattering technique and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
The NPs were spin coated on glass side of fluorinated tin oxide (SnO2: F) coated glass superstrate and optimization of the concentration of the colloidal solution, spin speed and number of coated layers was done to achieve minimum reflection characteristics. An estimation of the distribution of the NPs for different optimization parameters has been done using field-emission scanning electron microscopy.
Subsequently, the transparent conducting oxide coated glass with the layer having the minimum reflectance is used for fabrication of amorphous silicon SC. Electrical analysis of the fabricated cell indicates an improvement of 6.5% in short-circuit current density from a reference of 12.40 mA cm−2 while the open circuit voltage and the fill factor remains unaltered. A realistic optical model has also been proposed to gain an insight into the system.
Citation
Das, S., Banerjee, C., Kundu, A., Dey, P., Saha, H. and Datta, S.K., 2013. Silica nanoparticles on front glass for efficiency enhancement in superstrate-type amorphous silicon solar cells. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 46(41), p.415102.
Redirect to full article: Click Here
Category: Solar & Photovoltaics