Study on modification of single-walled carbon nanotubes on the surface of monocrystalline silicon solar cells

Modification of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on the surface of monocrystalline silicon solar cells was investigated. The modification was realized by dropping a well-distributed mixture of SWNTs and ethanol with different dosages on the surface of monocrystalline silicon solar cells in the same effective area. The experimental results showed that the increasing rates of conversion efficiency, short-circuit current, and fill factor were 4.37%, 2.18%, and 2.11%, respectively; the open circuit voltage and series resistance decreased by 0.11% and 9.37% compared with the bare solar cell without an antireflection (AR) layer, when the modification reached the best state by dropping a 0.5 mL mixture solution with a concentration of 0.08 g/L. With the energy-band diagrams of the heterojunction and p-n junction, the principles of the modification of SWNTs on monocrystalline silicon solar cells and the reasons for the change of electrical parameters were analyzed theoretically. Through experiments and theoretical analyses, the modification of SWNTs on solar cells is a potential and effective way to improve the performance of solar cells. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America