MIT announces a design method to boost the efficiency of thin-film solar cells by 50%

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A research team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States announced that they have discovered a method to increase the conversion efficiency of thin-film solar cells by 50%. The team used computer simulations to design thin-film solar cells, and confirmed the aforementioned results through experiments conducted at the research institute. 　By installing an anti-reflective film on a 2μm-thick silicon thin film, and combining multiple reflective films with diffraction gratings on the back side of the solar cell, the output power of the solar cell was increased by about 50% compared to before. The efficiency is improved because the multi-layer reflective film placed on the back of the solar cell causes sunlight to be reflected within the silicon thin film for a longer period of time. The research team considered various combinations of changes in the width of the diffraction grating, the thickness of silicon, and the number of reflection film layers on the back side of the solar cell, and conducted thousands of simulations repeatedly. ““The key is that the sunlight incident on the reflective layer of the solar cell travels a longer distance through silicon,” revealed Peter Bermel, a postdoctoral researcher at MIT’s Electronics Research Laboratory involved in this project. The research team will make fine adjustments to this technology by continuing simulations and conducting experiments in the laboratory. The manufacturing process and materials are scheduled to be studied thereafter. Strive to reach a practical level within 3 years.