Improving the Short-Wavelength Spectral Response of Silicon Solar Cells by Spray Deposition of YVO4 :Eu3+ Downshifting Phosphor Nanoparticles

Europium-doped yttrium vanadate downshifting phosphor nanoparticles (NPs) have been coated on top of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, having efficiency more than 15%, by a spray deposition technique. The effects of phosphor NPs on solar cells with antireflection coating (ARC) have been studied. The optimized quantity of phosphor NPs provides a photocurrent enhancement of ~2.1% for monosilicon solar cells. External quantum efficiency data of high-efficiency ARC layer-coated silicon solar cells conclusively show that the enhancement in short-wavelength spectral response is mainly due to downshifting effects of the phosphor NPs. A small increment in a long-wavelength spectral response is also observed due to the scattering effects of phosphor NPs, which also results in a small enhancement of effective diffusion length of minority carriers in the base region.