Application of SiOx:H/bi-SiNx:H/SiOx:H stacked coatings embedded by silicon nanocrystals on crystalline silicon solar cells with nanowire texturing

• Published in: Thin solid films 2017-02, Vol.624, p.21-28
• Main Authors: Ma, Xiao-Bo, Zhang, Wei-Jia, Zhang, Wei, Ma, Qiang, Fan, Zhi-Qiang, Ma, Deng-Hao, Jiang, Zhao-Yi, Zhang, Yu-Long
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Luminescent down shifting effect; Nanowires; Silicon nanocrystals; Solar cells
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2017.01.009

In this study, a SiOx:H/bi-SiNx:H/SiOx:H quadruple-layer anti-reflective coatings embedded by silicon nanocrystals (Si-NC ARCs) was deposited on an n-type monocrystalline silicon base solar cell with nanowire texturing, by means of plasma enhancing chemical vapor deposition. The average reflection of the Si-NC ARCs on the polished silicon wafer was 4.97% (300–1000nm). The minority carrier lifetime of the silicon wafer with nanowire texturing was boosted by nearly 39 times after the Si-NC ARCs were deposited. Moreover, the Si-NC ARCs showed a significant luminescent down shifting effect (LDS), with strong absorbing at the blue-ultraviolet region, followed by re-emitting at the red-near-infrared region, thereby modifying the sunlight spectrum before they reached the solar cell, and thus obtaining a better spectrum response. After depositing the Si-NC ARCs without a significant increase in the cell cost, the external quantum efficiencies, short circuit current density and photo-conversion efficiency of the solar cell with nanowire texturing were significantly improved. •A quadruple-layer anti-reflective coatings is embedded by silicon nanocrystals.•It produces the luminescent down shifting effect.•It can improve the property of the solar cell with nanowire texturing.