TAGS: New Energy Solutions Transparency Creativity with Plastics
A research team led by Professor Kyoung Jin Choi in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at UNIST has introduced a flexible and transparent solar cell, using silicon microwire composites.
“Existing transparent solar cells were manufactured on rigid glass substrates, so their application range was limited,” says Professor Choi. “The new solar cell is expected to maintain its initial efficiency of more than 95 percent even after dozens of bending tests, and be applied to a variety of buildings, vehicle glass, and portable electronic devices.”
The new solar cell takes a structure in which cylindrical silicon rods are embedded in a flexible and transparent polymer material. As the visible lights passes between polymer materials without silicon rods, it appears entirely transparent to the human eye. It is also designed to control the sunlight reflected from the silicon rods, thereby increasing efficiency.
Efficient Structure of New Solar Cells
Professor Kyoung Jin Choi’s team used transparent and flexible polymer substrates and specially shaped silicon rods.
In this solar cell, a silicon rod acts as a photoactive layer, absorbing sunlight and producing electricity. These silicone rods are arranged at intervals, due to which, the new solar cell maintains the transparent and flexible properties of the substrate itself.
Enhanced SiMW Tip for Increased Light Absorption
In the study, the research team has changed the shape of the SiMW tip dramatically for increased light absorption, while maintaining transparency. With the conventional solar cells, reflection occurs, as well as the absorption and transmission of light. Most of them are unable to take advantage of the reflected light, but the researchers created a structure to absorb it back into the solar cell. Based on the analysis of the light absorption mechanism in the silicon rods, the team designed the light reflected from the top of the bar to be absorbed by the bar next to it.
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This is a new attempt to apply the results of analyzing the theoretical light absorption mechanism to the development of high performance transparent solar cells,” says Sung Bum Kang, the first author of the study. “
Thus, this recycling structure that reuses have increased the efficiency of the entire solar cell.”
Source: UNIST