Enhancing Photovoltaic Efficiency through Multi-Layered Nanostructured Anti-Reflective Coatings on Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Abstract

Reflection losses remain a major limitation in improving the efficiency of solar cells, despite advances in photovoltaic (PV) materials and device design. This study investigates the fabrication and characterization of multi-layered nanostructured anti-reflective coatings (ARCs) composed of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) on monocrystalline silicon solar cells. Using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), alternating SiO₂ (50 nm) and TiO₂ (30 nm) layers were fabricated and tested for their optical and photovoltaic properties. UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy confirmed significant suppression of reflection across the 300–1100 nm spectrum, with reflectivity reduced from ~30% in uncoated cells to below 7% in coated samples at 550 nm. Photovoltaic performance tests under standard test conditions (1000 W/m², 25°C, AM 1.5G) showed a notable improvement, with power conversion efficiency (PCE) increasing from ~18% in bare cells to ~19.5% in coated cells, representing an ~8% relative enhancement. Angular dependence measurements demonstrated consistent anti-reflective performance across multiple incidence angles (0°–60°). These findings highlight the potential of nanostructured multi-layer ARCs to improve light harvesting, reduce reflective losses and enhance the long-term efficiency of solar photovoltaics.