1 research outputs found
Lithography-Free, Large-Area Spatially Segmented Disordered Structure for Light Harvesting in Photovoltaic Modules
Optical losses in photovoltaic (PV)
systems cause nonradiative
recombination or incomplete absorption of incident light, hindering
the attainment of high energy conversion efficiency. The surface of
the PV cells is encapsulated to not only protect the cell but also
control the transmission properties of the incident light to promote
maximum conversion. Despite many advances in elaborately designed
photonic structures for light harvesting, the complicated process
and sophisticated patterning highly diminish the cost-effectiveness
and further limit the mass production on a large scale. Here, we propose
a robust/comprehensive strategy based on the hybrid disordered photonic
structure, implementing multifaceted light harvesting with an affordable/scalable
fabrication method. The spatially segmented structures include (i)
nanostructures in the active area for antireflection and (ii) microstructures
in the inactive edge area for redirecting the incident light into
the active area. A lithography-free hybrid disordered structure fabricated
by the thermal dewetting method is a facile approach to create a large-area
photonic structure with hyperuniformity over the entire area. Based
on the experimentally realized nano-/microstructures, we designed
a computational model and performed an analytical calculation to confirm
the light behavior and performance enhancement. Particularly, the
suggested structure is manufactured by the elastomeric stamps method,
which is affordable and profitable for mass production. The produced
hybrid structure integrated with the multijunction solar cell presented
an improved efficiency from 28.0 to 29.6% by 1.06 times