High Anti-Reflection Large-Scale Cup-Shaped Nano-Pillar Arrays via Thin Film Anodic Aluminum Oxide Replication

Surface anti-reflection (AR) with nanometer-scaled texture has shown excellent light trapping performance involving optical devices. In this work, we developed a simple and lithography-free structure replication process to obtain large scale surface cup-shaped nano-pillar (CSNP) arrays for the first...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tangyou Sun, Furong Shui, Xiancui Yang, Zhiping Zhou, Rongqiao Wan, Yun Liu, Cheng Qian, Zhimou Xu, Haiou Li, Wenjing Guo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
Series:Nanomaterials
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/12/11/1875
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Summary:Surface anti-reflection (AR) with nanometer-scaled texture has shown excellent light trapping performance involving optical devices. In this work, we developed a simple and lithography-free structure replication process to obtain large scale surface cup-shaped nano-pillar (CSNP) arrays for the first time. A method of depositing was used for pattern transfer based on PMMA pre-coated through-hole anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) thin film (~500 nm), and eventually, the uniformity of the transferred nanostructures was guaranteed. From the spectrum (250 nm~2000 nm) dependent measurements, the CSNP nanostructured Si showed excellent AR performance when compared with that of the single-polished Si. Moreover, the CSNP was found to be polarization insensitive and less dependent on incidence angles (≤80°) over the whole spectrum. To further prove the excellent antireflective properties of the CSNP structure, thin film solar cell models were built and studied. The maximum value of J<sub>ph</sub> for CSNP solar cells shows obvious improvement comparing with that of the cylinder, cone and parabola structured ones. Specifically, in comparison with the optimized Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> thin film solar cell, an increment of 54.64% has been achieved for the CSNP thin film solar cell.
ISSN:2079-4991