Metal nanowire network as an efficient top electrode for Si solar cell

Abstract

In optoelectronic applications, a transparent conductor plays a very important role. It allows photons as well as electricity to pass through, be it a situation involving a display device or an energy device. Accordingly, the requirements of transparent conducting electrodes (TCE) are highly varied. Display devices require TCEs with high transparency and moderate conductivity whereas energy devices necessitate high conductivity while moderate transparency is acceptable. While tin (Sn) and fluorine (F) doped indium oxide (ITO and FTO respectively) are extensively used in various devices (T = 92% and Rs = 10?/?)1, many alternate materials are being investigated to address the shortcomings in oxide based TCEs such as extreme brittleness, limited chemical stability, high cost etc. In this context, conducting 1D networks made of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires have become popular. By bringing in dispersions of these 1D nanostructures and spreading over a given substrates, TCEs have been realised with transparency and sheet resistance comparable to that of ITO. However these percolative networks come with drawbacks such as high junction resistance and redundant wires causing undesired shorting in the device.