Photovoltaics (and nanotechnology) group (M. Vaněček)

Optical and photoelectrical spectroscopy of solar cell materials (amorphous silicon, amorphous silicon nitrides, oxides and carbides, nanocrystalline silicon, microcrystalline silicon, ZnO, SnO2, perovskites).

Optical model CELL – Monte Carlo modeling of quantum efficiency spectra of thin film silicon solar cells (single or multiple junctions). Study of light trapping in thin film silicon solar cells.

New 3-dimensional design of nanostructured solar cells; nano- and micro-structuring of TCO for solar cells by electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching.

Hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods and nanocolumns for 3-D solar cells.

Selected results

New 3-dimensional design of thin film silicon solar cells
At 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference we reported on a new 3-dimensional design of „folded“ thin film silicon solar cells. It is based on nanostructured substrate glass/ZnO, where ZnO nanocollumns are organized approximately in hexagonal arrangement and amorphous and/or nanocrystalline silicon p-i-n cells are deposited conformally over this nanostructured substrate. We experimentally measured a high quality of the Si absorber layer deposited over the ZnO nanocollumns and calculated potential for the record stable efficiency of such amorphous and “micromorph” solar cells.

M. Vanecek, Z. Remes,J. Holovsky, A. Purkrt, O. Babchenko, K. Hruska, J. Meier, U. Kroll: Five roads towards increased optical absorption and high stable efficiency for thin film silicon solar cells, Proceedings of the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, eds. W. Sinke, H. Ossenbrink, P. Helm, 21-25. September 2009, Hamburg, Germany, pp. 2286-9.