Theoretical comparison of optical and electronic properties of uniformly and randomly arranged nano-porous ultra-thin layers

Tsuchime-like Aluminum Film to Enhance Absorption in Ultra-Thin Photovoltaic Cells

Ultra-thin solar cells enable materials to be saved, reduce deposition time, and promote carrier collection from materials with short diffusion lengths. However, light absorption efficiency in ultra-thin solar panels remains a limiting factor. Most methods to increase light absorption in ultra-thin solar cells are either technically challenging or costly, given the thinness of the functional layers involved. We propose a cost-efficient and lithography-free solution to enhance light absorption in ultra-thin solar cells-a Tsuchime-like self-forming nanocrater (T-NC) aluminum (Al) film. T-NC Al film can be produced by the electrochemical anodization of Al, followed by etching the nanoporous alumina. Theoretical studies show that T-NC film can increase the average absorbance by 80.3%, depending on the active layer's thickness. The wavelength range of increased absorption varies with the active layer thickness, with the peak of absolute absorbance increase moving from 620 nm to 950 nm as the active layer thickness increases from 500 nm to 10 µm. We have also shown that the absorbance increase is retained regardless of the active layer material. Therefore, T-NC Al film significantly boosts absorbance in ultra-thin solar cells without requiring expensive lithography, and regardless of the active layer material.

Colour-Difference Measurement Method for Evaluation of Quality of Electrolessly Deposited Copper on Polymer after Laser-Induced Selective Activation

In this work a novel colour-difference measurement method for the quality evaluation of copper deposited on a polymer is proposed. Laser-induced selective activation (LISA) was performed onto the surface of the polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC/ABS) polymer by using nanosecond laser irradiation. The laser activated PC/ABS polymer was copper plated by using the electroless copper plating (ECP) procedure. The sheet resistance measured by using a four-point probe technique was found to decrease by the power law with the colour-difference of the sample images after LISA and ECP procedures. The percolation theory of the electrical conductivity of the insulator conductor mixture has been adopted in order to explain the experimental results. The new proposed method was used to determine an optimal set of the laser processing parameters for best plating conditions.

Comparative analysis of opto-electronic performance of aluminium and silver nano-porous and nano-wired layers

The comparison of optical and electronic properties between squarely and hexagonally arranged nano-porous layers and uniformly arranged nano-wired layers of aluminium and silver was presented. The nano-wired configuration exhibit 20 and 10% higher average transmittance in visible wavelength range in comparison to square and hexagonal nano-porous designs, respectively. The insignificant difference of the transmittance for aluminium and silver nano-porous and nano-wired layers is observed, when interpore/interwire distance is larger than wavelengths of incoming light. This difference becomes considerable at the interpore/interwire distance less than wavelengths of incoming light: silver nano-porous and nano-wired layers possess up to 27% higher transmittance in comparison to aluminium layers.