Laser textured substrates for light in-coupling in thin-film solar cells

In this work we investigate the use of a picosecond (ps) laser used for monolithic connection to pattern glass substrates to achieve light in-coupling in silicon thin film solar cells. We present our results on the patterning of three commercially available and frequently used multi-component glasses Corning EAGLE XG (R), Schott BOROFLOAT (R) 33 and Saint-Gobain SGG DIAMANT (R). We find that the different glass structural components influence the degree of texturing obtained. This can be attributed to the different laser induced electron collision times and recombination rates, and thus the critical electron density evolution leading to ablation. Thus the ablated crater profile is glass composition dependent. The surface texture is altered from periodic to random with decreasing scribing speed. The transmission of the textured substrates gradually decreases while the reflection increases as a consequence of the topological and morphological changes. The angular resolved measurements illustrate that highly textured substrates scatter the light towards greater angles. This demonstrates potential for the application in substrate configuration (nip) thin film solar cells, as the scattering can increase the optical path, and hence the absorption in the absorber layer. Simulations of periodically textured glass substrates demonstrate a focused optical generation rate near the front contact and absorber layer interface. The influence of the modified refractive index region on the optical generation rate and reflection depends on the crater profile. The reflection is generally reduced when a periodic texture in the micrometre range is implemented.