Broadband wide-angle antireflection enhancement in AZO/Si shell/core subwavelength grating structures with hydrophobic surface for Si-based solar cells

Broadband wide-angle antireflection characteristics of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO)/silicon (Si) shell/core subwavelength grating (SWG) structures with a hydrophobic surface, together with theoretical prediction using a rigorous coupled-wave analysis simulation, were investigated for Si-based solar cells. The AZO films with different thicknesses were deposited on Si SWGs by rf magnetron sputtering method, which forms a shell/core structure. The AZO/Si shell/core SWGs reduced significantly the surface reflection compared to the AZO films/Si substrate. The coverage of AZO films on Si SWGs improved the antireflective property over a wider incident angle. The AZO/Si shell/core SWG structure with a 200 nm-thick AZO layer deposited at an rf power of 200 W exhibited a water contact angle of 123 degrees. This structure also exhibited a low average reflectance of similar to 2% over a wide wavelength range of 300-2100 nm with a solar weighted reflectance of 2.8%, maintaining a reflectance of < 9.2% at wavelengths of 300-2100 nm up to the incident angle of theta(i) = 70 degrees. The effective electrical properties of AZO films in AZO/Si shell/core SWGs were also analyzed. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America