Plasma-produced ZnO nanorod arrays as an antireflective layer in c-Si solar cells

• Published in: Journal of materials science Vol. 54; no. 5; pp. 4011 - 4023
• Main Authors: Huang, Feifei, Guo, Bin, Li, Shuai, Fu, Junchi, Zhang, Ling, Lin, Guanhua, Yang, Qinru, Cheng, Qijin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.03.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Arrays; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Crystal structure; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Electron microscopes; Electron microscopy; Electronic Materials; Emission analysis; Field emission microscopy; Materials Science; Nanorods; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic conversion; Polymer Sciences; Silicon; Solar cells; Solar energy industry; Solid Mechanics; Transmission electron microscopes; Tube furnaces; Wurtzite; X-ray diffraction; Zinc oxide; Antireflection Performance; AR Layer; Plane Front Surface; PC1D Simulation; Zinc Film
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-018-3099-1

In this work, we develop a simple customized radio-frequency plasma-enhanced horizontal tube furnace deposition system to directly grow high-quality ZnO nanorod arrays on zinc films and investigate their application as an antireflective layer in n + pp + monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. Field emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, and transmission electron microscope studies reveal that ZnO nanorod arrays feature a perfect crystalline wurtzite structure and grow preferentially along [0001] direction. The antireflective performance of ZnO nanorod arrays is confirmed by Fresnel coefficient matrix method and MATLAB software calculation. Furthermore, PC1D simulation demonstrates that the photovoltaic property for c-Si solar cells of the pyramid-textured front surface using ZnO nanorod arrays as an antireflective layer is much better than that for the other three types of c-Si solar cells (i.e., c-Si solar cells of the pyramid-textured front surface without using any antireflective layer, c-Si solar cells of the planar front surface using ZnO nanorod arrays as an antireflective layer, as well as c-Si solar cells of the planar front surface without using any antireflective layer). In particular, the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 20.23% has been achieved for c-Si solar cells of the pyramid-textured front surface using ZnO nanorod arrays as an antireflective layer. This work is highly relevant to the development of an advanced process for the realization of high-efficiency, low-cost, and stable solar cells.