Efficiency enhancement of mono-Si solar cell with CdO nanotip antireflection and down-conversion layer

Abstract

We propose a composite mono-Si solar cell integrated with CdO nanotips (NTs). The substrate was mono-Si with a Si₃N₄ antireflection (AR) layer already deposited on the top. CdO NTs were synthesized on the surface of the Si₃N₄ AR layer by chemical bath deposition (CBD). The CdO NTs composite solar cell achieved a 14% enhancement in power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to the cell without CdO NTs. The J–V curve, reflectance, and photoluminescence demonstrate that the remarkable antireflection and down-conversion of CdO NTs, and the slightly increased fill factor played significant roles in the increased PCE. We believe that the PCE of Si solar cells still has scope for improvement by adding materials with proper antireflection, down-conversion and conductivity properties to the top of the cells.