Efficient light-trapping with quasi-periodic uniaxial nanowrinkles for thin-film silicon solar cells

TY - JOUR

T1 - Efficient light-trapping with quasi-periodic uniaxial nanowrinkles for thin-film silicon solar cells

AU - Ram, Sanjay K.

AU - Desta, Derese

AU - Rizzoli, Rita

AU - Falcao, Bruno P.

AU - Eriksen, Emil H.

AU - Bellettato, Michele

AU - Jeppesen, Bjarke R.

AU - Jensen, Pia B.

AU - Summonte, Caterina

AU - Pereira, Rui N.

AU - Larsen, Arne Nylandsted

AU - Balling, Peter

PY - 2017/5

Y1 - 2017/5

N2 - Self-organizing nanopatterns can enable economically competitive, industrially applicable light-harvesting platforms for thin-film solar cells. In this work, we present transparent solar cell substrates having quasi-periodic uniaxial nanowrinkle patterns with high optical haze values. The self-organized nanowrinkle template is created by controlled heat-shrinking of metal-deposited pre-stretched polystyrene sheets. A scalable UV-nanoimprinting method is used to transfer the nanopatterns to glass substrates on which single-junction hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n solar cells are subsequently fabricated. The structural and optical analyses of the solar cell show that the nanowrinkle pattern is replicated throughout the solar cell structure leading to enhanced absorption of light. The efficient broadband light-trapping in the nanowrinkle solar cells results in very high 18.2 mA/cm(2) short-circuit current density and 9.5% energy-conversion efficiency, which respectively are 35.8% and 39.7% higher than the values obtained in flat-substrate solar cells. The cost-and time-efficient technique introduces a promising new approach to customizable light-management strategies in thin-film solar cells.

AB - Self-organizing nanopatterns can enable economically competitive, industrially applicable light-harvesting platforms for thin-film solar cells. In this work, we present transparent solar cell substrates having quasi-periodic uniaxial nanowrinkle patterns with high optical haze values. The self-organized nanowrinkle template is created by controlled heat-shrinking of metal-deposited pre-stretched polystyrene sheets. A scalable UV-nanoimprinting method is used to transfer the nanopatterns to glass substrates on which single-junction hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n solar cells are subsequently fabricated. The structural and optical analyses of the solar cell show that the nanowrinkle pattern is replicated throughout the solar cell structure leading to enhanced absorption of light. The efficient broadband light-trapping in the nanowrinkle solar cells results in very high 18.2 mA/cm(2) short-circuit current density and 9.5% energy-conversion efficiency, which respectively are 35.8% and 39.7% higher than the values obtained in flat-substrate solar cells. The cost-and time-efficient technique introduces a promising new approach to customizable light-management strategies in thin-film solar cells.

KW - Silicon thin-film solar cells

KW - Photovoltaic devices

KW - Nanowrinkles

KW - Light-management

KW - Nanomolding

KW - Finite element method modeling

KW - PHOTON MANAGEMENT

KW - PERFORMANCE

KW - DEVICES

KW - NANOSTRUCTURES

KW - SUBSTRATE

KW - WRINKLES

KW - LAYER

U2 - 10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.04.016

DO - 10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.04.016

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2211-2855

VL - 35

SP - 341

EP - 349

JO - Nano Energy

JF - Nano Energy

ER -