Parametric analysis of random subwavelength structures with anti-reflective properties on glass applied to photovoltaics

Pinto, Cristina L.; Cornago, Iñaki; Buceta, Alicia; Zugasti, Eugenia; Bengoechea, J.

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2021.111506

Cited by 6 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In addition, the formation of the HSFL structures with spatial periods shorter than the wavelengths of visible light act as a material with a gradual effective refractive index, inducing a decrease in the total reflectance. This is in agreement with both experimental and theoretical studies in which a considerable reduction in the total optical reflection was obtained with subwavelength structures on glass 77,78 .…”

Section: Optical Characterizationsupporting

confidence: 92%

Optoelectronic performance of Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films structured by Sub-Picosecond Direct Laser Interference Patterning

Heffner

Soldera

Lasagni

2023

Preprint

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A route to increase the efficiency of thin film solar cells is improving the light-trapping capacity by texturing the top Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) so that the sunlight reaching the solar absorber scatters into multiple directions. In this study, Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) thin films are treated by infrared sub-picosecond Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) to modify the surface topography. Surface analysis by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy reveals the presence of periodic microchannels with a spatial period of 5 m and an average height between 15 and 450 nm decorated with Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) in the direction parallel to the microchannels. A relative increase in the average total and diffuse optical transmittances up to 10.7% and 1,900%, respectively, was obtained in the 400-1,000 nm spectral range as an outcome of the interaction of white light with the generated micro- and nanostructures. The estimation of Haacke’s figure of merit suggests that the surface modification of ITO with fluence levels near the ablation threshold might enhance the performance of solar cells that employ ITO as a front electrode.

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Section: Optical Characterizationsupporting

confidence: 92%

Optoelectronic performance of Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films structured by Sub-Picosecond Direct Laser Interference Patterning

Heffner

Soldera

Lasagni

2023

Preprint

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“…The latter is in agreement with theoretical and experimental studies in which a significant reduction of the reflection was obtained with subwavelength structures on glass. [ 39,40 ]…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The latter is in agreement with theoretical and experimental studies in which a significant reduction of the reflection was obtained with subwavelength structures on glass. [39,40] Furthermore, an increase (relative) in the average diffuse transmittance up to 500% was observed for the FTO film structured at a fluence of F ¼ 860 mJ cm -2 in comparison to the flat reference. In addition, comparable T tot and T diff behavior were obtained in our previous studies in which FTO thin films were structured by DLIP using infrared radiation with 12 and 0.9 ps pulses.…”

Section: Optical and Electrical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 91%

Surface Modification of Fluorine‐Doped Tin Oxide Thin Films Using Femtosecond Direct Laser Interference Patterning: A Study of the Optoelectronic Performance

et al. 2023

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The first transparent conductive oxide (TCO) was introduced by Karl Bädeker in 1907, more than 110 years ago. [1] It was a thin film of cadmium oxide (CdO) prepared by oxidizing a vacuum-sputtered film of cadmium metal. By the same method, the first film of tin oxide (SnO 2 ) was obtained in 1937 by Gerhard Bauer. [2] Currently, different TCOs are being employed in the optoelectronic industry such as aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), indium-doped tin oxide (ITO), and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). The latter has been extensively used as it possesses low fabrication costs compared to ITO because indium is a very scarce element on Earth, [3] high thermal resistance, and good electronic compatibility with many semiconductors. [4,5] To ensure the high performance of optoelectronic devices, two features are key for TCOs: high optical transmittance in the spectral range of interest and low electrical resistivity. Besides, a high level of diffuse spectral transmittance has been demonstrated to further enhance sunlight absorption in the photoactive material on many different solar cell technologies. [6][7][8][9][10] Particularly in FTO, numerous strategies were applied to achieve these goals, for instance, by changing the doping concentration of fluorine, [11] by performing a surface chemical etching, [12] by laser annealing, [13] or by laser ablation. [14,15] In the field of laser ablation, efforts have been carried out to develop different approaches to structure the surface without deteriorating the material's intrinsic properties, which could affect the optoelectronic performance of the device in which it will be employed. Saetang et al. [16] structured FTO with an infrared (IR) ns-pulsed laser, generating line-like structures by means of a stream of water between the laser source and the conductive film. The results showed a reduction of the burr height index of 62.5% (relative) which is a critical parameter to reduce the intermittency between different thin layers in solar cells. Moreover, Kim et al. [17] textured FTO for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by using a continuous wave Nd:YAG infrared laser and obtained an 8.1% increase in the incident-photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) compared to the solar cell based on unstructured FTO.Regarding laser techniques, direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) has become an industrial-compatible technique able to produce large-area periodic surface micro-and nanostructures on a broad range of materials. [18,19] Berger et al. [20] used DLIP to structure ZnO:B thin films with an UV ns-laser and achieved a

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“…Thus, the present work aims to finish the study of and b) analysis of the antireflective property at different light AOI for different SWS. [24] Table 1. Simulation results of global reflectance for different light AOI for different SWS.…”

Section: Doi: 101002/ente202300587mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[17][18][19][20] Using Nature's knowledge, several researchers have applied SWS to PV technology to obtain enhanced AR surfaces. [9,14,[21][22][23][24] Not only do these SWS improve optical properties, but they also demonstrate excellent self-cleaning, antidust, and abrasion-resistant properties, [14,22,23,25] factors that are still questionable for the commercial AR coatings. [26][27][28] Additionally, the outdoor durability of these structures has been also demonstrated by D. Huh et al [21] Using nanoimprint lithography, they developed micro-and nanomoth eye structures in an M-PDMS polymer film and attached the flexible film to a commercial PV module.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Outdoor Electrical Performance of Photovoltaic Mini‐Modules with Enhanced Broadband Omnidirectional Antireflective Nanostructured Glass

Pinto,

Bengoechea,

Cornago

et al. 2023

Energy Tech

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Front glass structured with random subwavelength structures (SWS) provides photovoltaic (PV) modules with a spectrally broadband omnidirectional anti‐reflective property, enhancing also the incident angle modifier (IAM) factor and boosting energy production in the field. However, long‐term outdoor monitoring allowing a monthly quantification of the electrical improvement of PV devices laminated with nanostructured glasses has been missing so far. In this work, two mini‐modules, one laminated with flat glass and the other laminated with nanostructured glass, were installed in a single‐axis solar tracker, and the solar irradiance and the short‐circuit current (Isc) were monitored for over four months, from September to December. This monitoring provided the quantification of the impact of a broad range of sunlight’s angle of incidence (AOI) on the electrical enhancement of the device. The relative Isc improvement between two samples averaged for each month was calculated, ranging from 3.0% in September up to 4.0% in December. Besides, the influence of the solar AOI on the Isc improvement was investigated for sunny days, analyzing separately the Isc performance in the morning/afternoon hours, which corresponds to a normal incidence, and at noon, when the AOI is higher, obtaining more than 5.0% with AOI higher than 60o.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Parametric analysis of random subwavelength structures with anti-reflective properties on glass applied to photovoltaics

Cited by 6 publications

References 22 publications

Optoelectronic performance of Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films structured by Sub-Picosecond Direct Laser Interference Patterning

Optoelectronic performance of Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films structured by Sub-Picosecond Direct Laser Interference Patterning

Surface Modification of Fluorine‐Doped Tin Oxide Thin Films Using Femtosecond Direct Laser Interference Patterning: A Study of the Optoelectronic Performance

Outdoor Electrical Performance of Photovoltaic Mini‐Modules with Enhanced Broadband Omnidirectional Antireflective Nanostructured Glass

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