Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells Integrated with Subwavelength Structured Cover Glass Fabricated by One-Step Self-Masked Etching.

Ho-Jung Jeong,Young-Hyun Song,Jae-Hyung Jang,Ye-Chan Kim,Min-Ho Choi,Ju-Hyung Yun,Sung-Tae Kim,Min-Su Park

doi:10.3390/mi11090877

Abstract

We report an anti-reflective cover glass for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells. Subwavelength structures (SWSs) were fabricated on top of a cover glass using one-step self-masked etching. The etching method resulted in dense whiskers with high aspect ratio. The produced structure exhibited excellent anti-reflective properties over a broad wavelength range, from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. Compared to a flat-surface glass, the average transmittance of the glass integrated with the SWSs improved from 92.4% to 95.2%. When the cover glass integrated with the SWSs was mounted onto the top of a CIGS device, the short-circuit current and the efficiency of the solar cell were enhanced by 4.38 and 6%, respectively, compared with a CIGS solar cell without cover glass.

Highlights

Singe- or multi-antireflection coating (ARC) layers have been widely utilized to reduce optical reflection losses at surface of solar cells
Even though ARCs exhibit excellent anti-reflective characteristics, broadband antireflection, including in the visible and near-infrared wavelength regions, is necessary to maximize the efficiency of solar cells
This study demonstrated that incorporating a simple and low-cost Subwavelength structures (SWSs) fabrication in a cover glass on a CIGS device resulted in the improved optical performances of the solar cell

Summary

Introduction

Singe- or multi-antireflection coating (ARC) layers have been widely utilized to reduce optical reflection losses at surface of solar cells. This study demonstrated that incorporating a simple and low-cost SWS fabrication in a cover glass on a CIGS device resulted in the improved optical performances of the solar cell. A one-step self-masked etching and a dry etching using Ag nanoparticles were conducted to fabricate the SWSs and their optical properties were compared and analyzed.

Results

Conclusion