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Nanostructured Transparent Conductive Oxides for Photovoltaic Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2013

Roger E. Welser ,
Adam W. Sood ,
Jaehee Cho ,
E. Fred Schubert ,
Jennifer L. Harvey ,
Nibir K. Dhar  and
Ashok K. Sood
Roger E. Welser
Affiliation:
Magnolia Solar, Inc., 251 Fuller Road, CESTM- B250, Albany, NY 12203 Magnolia Optical Technologies, Inc., 52-B Cummings Park, Suite 314, Woburn, MA 01801
Adam W. Sood
Affiliation:
Magnolia Solar, Inc., 251 Fuller Road, CESTM- B250, Albany, NY 12203 Magnolia Optical Technologies, Inc., 52-B Cummings Park, Suite 314, Woburn, MA 01801 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth Street, Troy, NY 12180
Jaehee Cho
Affiliation:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth Street, Troy, NY 12180
E. Fred Schubert
Affiliation:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth Street, Troy, NY 12180
Jennifer L. Harvey
Affiliation:
NYSERDA, 17 Columbia Circle, Albany, NY 12203
Nibir K. Dhar
Affiliation:
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203
Ashok K. Sood
Affiliation:
Magnolia Solar, Inc., 251 Fuller Road, CESTM- B250, Albany, NY 12203 Magnolia Optical Technologies, Inc., 52-B Cummings Park, Suite 314, Woburn, MA 01801
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Abstract

Oblique-angle deposition is used to fabricate indium tin oxide (ITO) optical coatings with a porous, columnar nanostructure. Nanostructured ITO layers with a reduced refractive index are then incorporated into antireflection coating (ARC) structures with a step-graded refractive index design, enabling increased transmittance into an underlying semiconductor over a wide range of wavelengths of interest for photovoltaic applications. Low-refractive index nanostructured ITO coatings can also be combined with metal films to form an omnidirectional reflector (ODR) structure capable of achieving high internal reflectivity over a broad spectrum of wavelengths and a wide range of angles. Such conductive high-performance ODR structures on the back surface of a thin-film solar cell can potentially increase both the current and voltage output by scattering unabsorbed and emitted photons back into the active region of the device.

Keywords

photovoltaictransparent conductoroptical properties
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1493: Symposium E/H – Photovoltaic Technologies, Devices and Systems Based on Inorganic Materials, Small Organic Molecules and Hybrids , 2013 , pp. 23 - 28
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013 

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References

REFERENCES

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