Improving the UV-light stability of silicon heterojunction solar cells through plasmon-enhanced luminescence downshifting of YVO4:Eu3+,Bi3+ nanophosphors decorated with Ag nanoparticles

Abstract

The ultraviolet (UV) light stability of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells should be addressed before large-scale production and applications. Introducing downshifting (DS) nanophosphors on top of solar cells that can convert UV light to visible light may reduce UV-induced degradation (UVID) without sacrificing the power conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein, a novel composite DS nanomaterial composed of YVO4:Eu3+,Bi3+ nanoparticles (NPs) and Ag NPs was synthesized and introduced onto the incident light side of industrial SHJ solar cells to achieve UV shielding. The YVO4:Eu3+,Bi3+ NPs and Ag NPs were synthesized via a sol–gel method and a wet chemical reduction method, respectively. Then, a composite structure of the YVO4:Eu3+,Bi3+ NPs decorated with Ag NPs was synthesized by an ultrasonic method. The emission intensities of the YVO4:Eu3+,Bi3+ nanophosphors were significantly enhanced upon decoration with an appropriate amount of ∼20 nm Ag NPs due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Upon the introduction of LSPR-enhanced downshifting, the SHJ solar cells exhibited an ∼0.54% relative decrease in PCE degradation under UV irradiation with a cumulative dose of 45 kW h compared to their counterparts, suggesting excellent potential for application in UV-light stability enhancement of solar cells or modules.