Hierarchical structured polymers for light-absorption enhancement of silicon-based solar power systems

作者：Leem Jung Woo; Choi Minkyu; Dudem Bhaskar; Yu Jae Su^*

来源：RSC Advances, 2016, 6(60): 55159-55166.

DOI：10.1039/c6ra08030h

Light-absorption enhancement of silicon (Si)-based solar power systems (i.e., solar modules) is reported by employing a ultraviolet-curable polymer (i.e., NOA63) film integrated with a hierarchical structure (HS) consisting of nanonipples on micropyramids onto the PET cover as a protective antireflection (PAR) layer. The HS-patterns can be easily transferred from Si molds with the HS via poly-dimethylsiloxane stamps by soft lithography. The HS-NOA63 film increases the total and diffuse transmittances of the bare polyethylene terephthalate (PET), simultaneously, at wavelengths of 380-1100 nm, thus resulting in the reduced surface reflection (i.e., lower solar weighted reflectance (R-sw) of 6.1%) and the strong light scattering (i.e., much higher average haze ratio (H-avg) of 90.7%) compared to the bare PET (i.e., R-sw = 11.7% and H-avg = 6.9%). Consequently, the Si solar modules with the HS-NOA63 PAR layer of the PET cover exhibit a superior solar power generation in a wide incident angle range (0-70 degrees) of solar irradiance, especially, showing a relative increment percentage of 6.3% in power conversion efficiency (PCE) at 0 degrees (i.e., from PCE = 13.46 to 14.3%). Also, it has a superhydrophobic surface with a high water contact angle of 150 degrees, which leads to a self-cleaning ability to protect Si solar modules from being polluted by water droplets and dust particles in outdoor applications.

• 出版日期2016