Optical Properties of CaF2 Thin Film Deposited on Borosilicate Glass and Its Electrical Performance in PV Module Applications

Abstract

Calcium fluoride (CaF2) is deposited via vacuum thermal evaporation on borosilicate glass to produce an anti-reflection coating for use in solar modules. Macleod’s essential simulation is used to optimize the thickness of the CaF2 coating on the glass. Experimentally, a 120 ± 4 nm-thin CaF2 film on glass shows an average increase of ~4% in transmittance and a decrease of ~3.2% in reflectance, respectively, when compared to that of uncoated glass (Un CG), within the wavelength spectrum of approximately 350 to 1100 nm. The electrical PV performance of CaF2-coated glass (CaF2-CG) was analyzed for conventional and lightweight photovoltaic module applications. An improvement in the short-circuit current (Jsc) from 38.13 to 39.07 mA/cm2 and an increase of 2.40% in the efficiency (η) was obtained when CaF2-CG glass was used instead of Un CG in a conventional module. Furthermore, Jsc enhancement from 35.63 to 36.44 mA/cm2 and η improvement of 2.32% was observed when a very thin CaF2-CG was placed between the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and solar cell in a lightweight module.

A Review on Potential Mechanically Resistant Materials for Optical Multifunctional Surfaces: Bioinspired Surfaces with Advanced Properties

“…Materials like calcium fluoride (CaF 2 ), magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ), barium fluoride (BaF 2 ), and thorium fluoride (ThF 4 ) are commonly used for optical applications due to their wide transmission wavelength range, covering the ultraviolet to the midinfrared region. However, their mechanical properties may limit Boron nitride [ 99,112,113] Calcium fluoride [ 114,115] Gallium oxide [122][123][124][125][126][127] Potassium bromide [ 139] Polydimethyl siloxane [ 141] PDMS 1.42 at 700 nm 0.39-0.78 Soft -0.002 Hydrophobic Silicon [ 128] Silicon carbide [ 142,143] Yttrium oxide [ 147,148] Zinc selenide [ 128,150] Zinc sulfide [ 151,152] their use as hard coatings. MgF 2 [135] and CaF 2 [114,115] may still find application for protecting optical surfaces, but their hardness is dependent on the deposition technique.…”

“…However, their mechanical properties may limit Boron nitride [ 99,112,113] Calcium fluoride [ 114,115] Gallium oxide [122][123][124][125][126][127] Potassium bromide [ 139] Polydimethyl siloxane [ 141] PDMS 1.42 at 700 nm 0.39-0.78 Soft -0.002 Hydrophobic Silicon [ 128] Silicon carbide [ 142,143] Yttrium oxide [ 147,148] Zinc selenide [ 128,150] Zinc sulfide [ 151,152] their use as hard coatings. MgF 2 [135] and CaF 2 [114,115] may still find application for protecting optical surfaces, but their hardness is dependent on the deposition technique.…”

Utilization of CaF2/ITO Double‐Layer Anti‐Reflective Coating for Increasing the Efficiency in Rear Emitter SHJ Solar Cells

“…The figure shows the boundary between each layer. Figure 4c shows that CaF 2 has a polycrystalline structure having peaks at (111), ( 220) and (311), [25] while ITO shows the polycrystalline structure having visible peaks at (222) and (440) respectively. [33]…”

“…Calcium fluoride (CaF 2 ) is a similar type of material that has received significant attention in the field of optics. [ 25 ] CaF 2 is deposited using thermal evaporation. For deposition of 90 nm thick CaF 2 , it takes a few minutes.…”

The Influence of UV Light Exposure on the Reliability of Various Front Materials for Lightweight PV Module

“…Acrylic and other polymers are employed as glass replacements in lightweight crystalline-silicon PV modules [6][7][8]. The weight of the PV module can be significantly lowered if the front sheet is made of a polymer rather than glass, because glass constitutes approximately 70% of the module's weight [9]. In terms of the cost (for the system itself, as well as for the construction and the maintenance and transportation), polymers offer cost-effective solutions in comparison with conventional structures (based on conventional materials, e.g., glass).…”