Directly patterned TiO<sub>2</sub> nanostructures for efficient light harvesting in thin film solar cells

Ram, Sanjay K.; Rizzoli, R.; Desta, Derese; Jeppesen, Bjarke R.; Bellettato, M.; Samatov, I. G.; Tsao, Yao-Chung; Johannsen, Sabrina Rostgaard; Neuvonen, Pekka T.; Pedersen, Thomas Garm; Pereira, Rui N.; Pedersen, Kjeld; Balling, P.; Larsen, A. Nylandsted

doi:10.1088/0022-3727/48/36/365101

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The planar device shows comparable performance (PCE = 5.68%) with other literatures. 25,41 In contrast to the planar device, the solar cell on textured Ti substrate represents a much larger short circuit current density (J SC = 13.68 mA/ cm 2 ) due to the optical absorption enhancements. The trend for J SC can be confirmed with external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements as shown in Figure 5, panel b, which presents a broadband spectra response enhancement with respect to the planar reference device.…”

Section: ■ Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dual-Layer Nanostructured Flexible Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells with Enhanced Light Harvesting and Photoelectric Conversion Efficiency

Lin

et al. 2016

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Three-dimensional (3-D) structures have triggered tremendous interest for thin-film solar cells since they can dramatically reduce the material usage and incident light reflection. However, the high aspect ratio feature of some 3-D structures leads to deterioration of internal electric field and carrier collection capability, which reduces device power conversion efficiency (PCE). Here, we report high performance flexible thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells with a unique and effective light trapping scheme. In this device structure, a polymer nanopillar membrane is attached on top of a device, which benefits broadband and omnidirectional performances, and a 3-D nanostructure with shallow dent arrays underneath serves as a back reflector on flexible titanium (Ti) foil resulting in an increased optical path length by exciting hybrid optical modes. The efficient light management results in 42.7% and 41.7% remarkable improvements of short-circuit current density and overall efficiency, respectively. Meanwhile, an excellent flexibility has been achieved as PCE remains 97.6% of the initial efficiency even after 10 000 bending cycles. This unique device structure can also be duplicated for other flexible photovoltaic devices based on different active materials such as CdTe, Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS), organohalide lead perovskites, and so forth.

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Section: ■ Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dual-Layer Nanostructured Flexible Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells with Enhanced Light Harvesting and Photoelectric Conversion Efficiency

Lin

et al. 2016

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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“…The Si-NP coating step results in the BIP-BR which has a random distribution of TiO 2 -NP inverted pyramids buried within the Si-NPs bilayer, on the original planar reflector. To provide back contact to the solar cells, 100 nm thick indium tin oxide (ITO) and 30 nm aluminum zinc oxide (AZO) were sputtered on top of the nanoparticle layer surface [30].…”

Section: Experimental and Modeling Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 The details of the FDTD modeling are presented in the supplementary section ( Fig. S1) and in previously reported work [23,30]. Briefly, the physical model of the solar cell structure was based on imported topographical data obtained from AFM images of back-reflectors and the layer thicknesses obtained from cross-sectional FIB-SEM images of the solar cells, as shown in Figure S2.…”

Section: Experimental and Modeling Detailsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dielectric nanoparticles, due to their unique optical and structural properties, are emerging as highly manipulable building blocks to fabricate nano-and microstructures [27][28][29]. We have previously demonstrated a light-trapping nano-crater back-reflector fabricated by molding of TiO 2 nanoparticles (TiO 2 -NP) [30], and recently we presented, a buried light-scattering (BLiS) back-reflector using TiO 2 -NPs molded into pyramidal microstructures buried within a flat top layer of silicon nanoparticles (Si-NP) [23]. TiO 2 nanoparticles are transparent with a low refractive index while Si-NPs have a higher refractive index and are optically similar to the a-Si:H material of the solar cell that is fabricated on the back-reflector.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nanomolded buried light-scattering (BLiS) back-reflectors using dielectric nanoparticles for light harvesting in thin-film silicon solar cells

Desta

Rizzoli²,

Summonte³

et al. 2020

EPJ Photovolt.

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The article presents a nanoparticle-based buried light-scattering (BLiS) back-reflector design realized through a simplified nanofabrication technique for the purpose of light-management in solar cells. The BLiS structure consists of a flat silver back-reflector with an overlying light-scattering bilayer which is made of a TiO2 dielectric nanoparticles layer with micron-sized inverted pyramidal cavities, buried under a flat-topped silicon nanoparticles layer. The optical properties of this BLiS back-reflector show high broadband and wide angular distribution of diffuse light-scattering. The efficient light-scattering by the buried inverted pyramid back-reflector is shown to effectively improve the short-circuit-current density and efficiency of the overlying n-i-p amorphous silicon solar cells up to 14% and 17.5%, respectively, compared to the reference flat solar cells. A layer of TiO2 nanoparticles with exposed inverted pyramid microstructures shows equivalent light scattering but poor fill factors in the solar cells, indicating that the overlying smooth growth interface in the BLiS back-reflector helps to maintain a good fill factor. The study demonstrates the advantage of spatial separation of the light-trapping and the semiconductor growth layers in the photovoltaic back-reflector without sacrificing the optical benefit.

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“…The most commonly used approach to improve light absorption in thinfilm solar cells is to use textured front or back surfaces as light scattered from a textured surface/interface has a longer path length. [1][2][3][4][5] If the scattering angle is large enough, the light is trapped within the absorber layer of the solar cell leading to enhanced photocurrent. 6 The desirable sizes for the light-trap-ping features are often determined by the bandgap of the absorber layer material.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel back-reflector architecture with nanoparticle based buried light-scattering microstructures for improved solar cell performance

Desta

Ram

Rizzoli³

et al. 2016

Nanoscale

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A new back-reflector architecture for light-management in thin-film solar cells is proposed that includes a morphologically smooth top surface with light-scattering microstructures buried within. The microstructures are pyramid shaped, fabricated on a planar reflector using TiO2 nanoparticles and subsequently covered with a layer of Si nanoparticles to obtain a flattened top surface, thus enabling growth of good quality thin-film solar cells. The optical properties of this back-reflector show high broadband haze parameter and wide angular distribution of diffuse light-scattering. The n-i-p amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells grown on such a back-reflector show enhanced light absorption resulting in improved external quantum efficiency. The benefit of the light trapping in those solar cells is evidenced by the gains in short-circuit current density and efficiency up to 15.6% and 19.3% respectively, compared to the reference flat solar cells. This improvement in the current generation in the solar cells grown on the flat-topped (buried pyramid) back-reflector is observed even when the irradiation takes place at large oblique angles of incidence. Finite-difference-time-domain simulation results of optical absorption and ideal short-circuit current density values agree well with the experimental findings. The proposed approach uses a low cost and simple fabrication technique and allows effective light manipulation by utilizing the optical properties of micro-scale structures and nanoscale constituent particles.

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Directly patterned TiO₂ nanostructures for efficient light harvesting in thin film solar cells

Cited by 11 publications

References 34 publications

Dual-Layer Nanostructured Flexible Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells with Enhanced Light Harvesting and Photoelectric Conversion Efficiency

Dual-Layer Nanostructured Flexible Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells with Enhanced Light Harvesting and Photoelectric Conversion Efficiency

Nanomolded buried light-scattering (BLiS) back-reflectors using dielectric nanoparticles for light harvesting in thin-film silicon solar cells

Novel back-reflector architecture with nanoparticle based buried light-scattering microstructures for improved solar cell performance

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Directly patterned TiO2 nanostructures for efficient light harvesting in thin film solar cells

Cited by 11 publications

References 34 publications

Dual-Layer Nanostructured Flexible Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells with Enhanced Light Harvesting and Photoelectric Conversion Efficiency

Dual-Layer Nanostructured Flexible Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells with Enhanced Light Harvesting and Photoelectric Conversion Efficiency

Nanomolded buried light-scattering (BLiS) back-reflectors using dielectric nanoparticles for light harvesting in thin-film silicon solar cells

Novel back-reflector architecture with nanoparticle based buried light-scattering microstructures for improved solar cell performance

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Directly patterned TiO₂ nanostructures for efficient light harvesting in thin film solar cells