Antireflective downconversion ZnO:Er3+,Yb3+ thin film for Si solar cell applications

Hexagonal wurtzite phased ZnO:Er3+/Yb3+ thin films with various Yb concentrations were deposited on Si(111) substrate by Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition process. Post-annealed films at 1000 °C in air atmosphere showed a crystallinity enhancement. Yb3+ (4F7/2 → 4F5/2) 1000 nm emission increased with the increase of Yb3+ concentration emanating from an Er-Yb energy transfer. The reflectance percentage of 12% was achieved in the [250–1000 nm] range, and the refractive index of 1.97 was obtained for 632 nm wavelength. These results suggest that the (3 mol. % Er, 9 mol. % Yb) codoped film is a highly efficient antireflective downconversion layer for enhancing Si solar cell efficiency.