Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Anti-reflective effect of CeO2 thin films produced by sol-gel method on crystalline silicon solar cells

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, considering the good optical properties of CeO2 thin films, their anti-reflective effect on crystalline silicon solar cells was investigated. First molarity and then coating speed optimizations were carried out for the optimum thickness value. In addition, annealing temperature and annealing time optimizations were performed on CeO2 thin films, and the appropriate values for annealing temperature and annealing time were determined. As a result of all optimizations, it was found that 0.3 M concentration, 6000 rpm coating speed, 400 °C annealing temperature, and 120 min annealing time were optimum values for CeO2 thin films. The average reflectance value of CeO2 thin films obtained using these values was 14.32%, while the minimum reflectance value was 0.62%. When the optimum reflectance values were applied to c-Si solar cells with Afors-het simulation, it was observed that the efficiency value increased from 11.57 to 16.89% compared to the uncoated solar cell.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Duttagupta S, Ma F, Hoex B, Mueller T, Aberle AG (2012) Optimised antireflection coatings using silicon nitride on textured silicon surfaces based on measurements and multidimensional modelling. Energy Procedia 15:78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Shah DK, Devendra K, Kim T-G, Akhtar MS, Kim CY, Yang O-B (2021) Influence of minority charge carrier lifetime and concentration on crystalline silicon solar cells based on double antireflection coating: A simulation study. Optical Mater 121:111500

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Korkmaz Ş, Elmas S, Ekem N, Pat S, Balbağ MZ (2012) Deposition of MgF2 thin films for antireflection coating by using thermionic vacuum arc (TVA). Opt Commun 285:2373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kanmaz I, Mandong AM, Uzum A (2020) Solution-based hafnium oxide thin films as potential antireflection coating for silicon solar cells. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 31:21279

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Strehlke S, Bastide S, Guillet J, Levy-Clement C (2000) Design of porous silicon antireflection coatings for silicon solar cells. Mater Sci Eng: B 69:81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Rani N, Ahlawat R, Goswami B (2020) Annealing effect on bandgap energy and photocatalytic properties of CeO2–SiO2 nanocomposite prepared by sol-gel technique. Mater Chem Phys 241:122401

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bene R, Perczel I, Reti F, Meyer F, Fleisher M, Meixner H (2000) Chemical reactions in the detection of acetone and NO by a CeO2 thin film. Sens Actuators B: Chem 71:36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Wang K, Chang Y, Lv L, Long Y (2015) Effect of annealing temperature on oxygen vacancy concentrations of nanocrystalline CeO2 film. Appl Surf Sci 351:164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lykaki M, Pachatouridou E, Carabineiro SA et al. (2018) Ceria nanoparticles shape effects on the structural defects and surface chemistry: Implications in CO oxidation by Cu/CeO2 catalysts. Appl Catal B: Environ 230:18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Park I-W, Lin J, Moore JJ et al. (2013) Grain growth and mechanical properties of CeO2-x films deposited on Si (100) substrates by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering. Surf Coat Technol 217:34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Elidrissi B, Addou M, Regragui M, Monty C, Bougrine A, Kachouane A (2000) Structural and optical properties of CeO2 thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis. Thin Solid Films 379:23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Atanassov G, Thielsch R, Popov D (1993) Optical properties of TiO2, Y2O3 and CeO2 thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation. Thin Solid Films 223:288

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Škofic IK, Šturm S, Čeh M, Bukovec N (2002) CeO2 thin films obtained by sol–gel deposition and annealed in air or argon. Thin Solid Films 422:170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Schmidt RH, Mosbach K, Haupt K (2004) A simple method for spin‐coating molecularly imprinted polymer films of controlled thickness and porosity. Adv Mater 16:719

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Mustafa H, Jameel DA (2021) Modeling and the main stages of spin coating process: A review. J Appl Sci Technol Trends 2:91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Changbin C, Caihong L, Qi C, Haibin M, Ruijie X (2015) Influence of annealing time on the structure and properties of high-density polyethylene microporous membrane. J Plast Film Sheeting 31:78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. https://www.pveducation.org. accesed 15.01.2023

  18. R Sharma, G Amit, V Ajit (2017) Effect of single and double layer antireflection coating to enhance photovoltaic efficiency of silicon solar

  19. İ KANMAZ (2023) Simulation of CdS/p-Si/p+-Si and ZnO/CdS/p-Si/p+-Si Heterojunction Solar Cells. Results in optics: 100353

  20. Bueno R, Martinez-Duart J, Hernandez-Velez M, Vazquez L (1997) Optical and structural characterization of rf sputtered CeO2 thin films. J Mater Sci 32:1861

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lee S, Choi S, Yi J (2000) Double-layer anti-reflection coating using MgF2 and CeO2 films on a crystalline silicon substrate. Thin Solid Films 376:208

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. D Channei, A Nakaruk, S Phanichphant, P Koshy, C Sorrell (2013) Cerium dioxide thin films using spin coating. J Chem

  23. Gatea HA, Hachim F (2023) Impact of Molarity on the Structural, Morphological and Optical Properties of CeO2 Thin Films Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis Technique. Int J Thin Fil Sci Tec 12:53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Fatimah S, Ragadhita R, Al Husaeni DF, Nandiyanto ABD (2022) How to calculate crystallite size from x-ray diffraction (XRD) using Scherrer method. ASEAN J Sci Eng 2:65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Senol S, Senol A, Ozturk O, Erdem M (2014) Effect of annealing time on the structural, optical and electrical characteristics of DC sputtered ITO thin films. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 25:4992

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Johnson Jeyakumar S, Dhanushkodi T, Kartharinal Punithavathy I, Jothibas M (2017) A facile route to synthesis of hexagonal shaped CeO2 nanoparticles. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 28:3740

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Zimou J, Nouneh K, Talbi A et al. (2022) Influence of manganese rate on structural, optical and electrochemical properties of CeO2 thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis: Supercapacitor applications. J Rare Earths 40:1611

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Heriche H, Rouabah Z, Bouarissa N (2017) New ultra thin CIGS structure solar cells using SCAPS simulation program. Int J Hydrog Energy 42:9524

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Varache R, Leendertz C, Gueunier-Farret M, Haschke J, Muñoz D, Korte L (2015) Investigation of selective junctions using a newly developed tunnel current model for solar cell applications. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 141:14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mohammed MA (2021) Modeling the structure of a solar cell based on perovskite CH3NH3PbI3. Current Research: 44

  31. Kanmaz I, Üzüm A (2020) Optimization of Back-Surface Field for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells and Estimating the Firing Temperature depending on the Amount of Printed Aluminum. Sakarya Univ J Sci 24:605

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) under project number 121C375. The authors also thank to Thin Film Laboratory of Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, where the thin films were produced.

Author contributions

IK conducted the experiments, analyzed the data and drafted/revised/finalized the paper. MT supervised the research, analyzed the data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Renewable Energy Resources/Technologies, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080, Trabzon, Turkey

    İmran Kanmaz

  2. Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, 53100, Rize, Turkey

    İmran Kanmaz & Murat Tomakin

Authors
  1. İmran Kanmaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Murat Tomakin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to İmran Kanmaz.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kanmaz, İ., Tomakin, M. Anti-reflective effect of CeO2 thin films produced by sol-gel method on crystalline silicon solar cells. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 108, 361–367 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06161-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06161-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation