The main problem in solar energy is reducing optical losses due to light reflection from the surface of photovoltaic cells. This paper numerically studies antireflection properties of nanostructured silicon dioxide (SiO2) coatings deposited on the surface of a solar cell. Two porous antireflection coating types are considered: multilayer assembly of nanospheres and vertical air nanopores embedded in a solid SiO2 layer. The light transmission efficiency is assessed depending on the coating thickness and structure. It is found that the efficiency of solar energy conversion into electricity can significantly vary across different spectral ranges for the same antireflection coating type. It is shown that a coating in the form of vertical nanopores in most cases provides more efficient conversion of incident light compared to a porous layer assembled of nanospheres. The results are important for designing more efficient solar cells and can be used to create antireflection coatings to improve the overall performance of photovoltaic devices.
Geints et al. (Wed,) studied this question.