ZnO nanorod arrays as an antireflective coating for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells

A ZnO nanorod antireflective coating has been prepared on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells. This coating leads to a decrease of the weighted global reflectance of the solar cells from 8.6 to 3.5%. It boosts the solar cells short-circuit current up to 5.7% without significant effect on their open-circuit voltage and fill factor (FF), which is comparable to a conventional optimized single layer MgF2 antireflective coating. The ZnO nanorod antireflective coating was electrochemically prepared from an aqueous solution at 80°C. The antireflective capability of ZnO nanorod arrays (ZNAs) may be further improved by optimization of growth conditions and their geometry. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.