Modelling and analysis of MGF2/SIO2 bilayer antireflective coating of light trapping in a silicon solar cells using wafer ray tracer / Nur Irdina Iwani Mohd Jamaluddin

Anti-reflective coating (ARC) application is continuously being developed extensively and widely for the manufacture of coatings on the surfaces of optical devices which are hugely essential, desirable, and required, particularly on silicon solar cells. Single layer ARC is sufficient, but double layer ARC tremendously enhances solar cell efficiency by covering a wider range of the solar spectrum. Magnesium fluoride, MgF2 and silicon dioxide, SiO2 are the AR coatings used in this proposal, with wavelengths in the range from 300 to 1200 nm. The optical properties of bilayer AR coatings were obtained by varying the thickness of the double coatings, which were 75 nm, 100 nm, 115 nm, and 122 nm, and see how the ARC effects Si solar cells and until the optimum current density was obtained. Wafer ray tracer was used in PV LightHouse software to simulate and model MgF2 and SiO2 bilayer AR coatings in order to fully understand the performance and impacts of the coatings on Si solar cells. This simulation work contains the analysis of reflection, absorption, transmission, and Jmax, which have been compared to many other theoretical results gathered from other studies and researches. To conclude, this simulation shows that bilayer anti-reflective coatings with the highest thickness are much more effective in Si solar cells. Hence, based on the simulation ran using the wafer ray tracer, it was found out that the highest value of Jmax is when the thickness of the anti-reflective coating is at 75 nm (Scheme I), where the value is value is 32.80 mA/cm2. This indicates that Schemes I, with a value of 27.13%, had the maximum Jmax enhancement. This outcome suggests that the performance of solar cell applications may be strengthened more effectively by using bilayer anti-reflective coating. The bilayer anti-reflective coating using MgF2 and SiO2 discussed in this paper can also be used and modified as a beneficial component for maximizing solar cell efficiency by decreasing optical loss.