Neutral-Colored Transparent Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics

Summary Crystalline silicon (c-Si) is not used for developing transparent photovoltaics, owing to its opaque nature. Furthermore, adding optical transparency to a conventional c-Si wafer is one of the most challenging problems in this field. Here, we demonstrate the development of a neutral-colored transparent c-Si substrate using a 200-μm-thick c-Si wafer, which is known to be intrinsically opaque. Transparent c-Si substrates were fabricated by placing microhole-shaped light transmission windows on a bare c-Si wafer. These windows were designed to enable the transmission of all incident visible light through the substrate, resulting in a colorless substrate. A light absorption area was also designed on the wafer to efficiently absorb incident light. As a representative application, solar cells fabricated using the neutral-colored transparent c-Si substrate showed a power conversion efficiency of up to 12.2%. Therefore, our transparent c-Si solar cells present a unique opportunity to develop next-generation colorless transparent photovoltaics.

• Publication year

  2020

• Venue

  Joule

• Publication date

  2020-01-15

• Fields of study

  Materials Science, Physics, Engineering

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.joule.2019.11.008
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Enhancing the efficiency of transparent dye-sensitized solar cells using concentrated light

  2018cited by this paper
• Fundamental Efficiency Limit of Lead Iodide Perovskite Solar Cells

  2018cited by this paper
• Halide Perovskites for Selective Ultraviolet-Harvesting Transparent Photovoltaics

  2018cited by this paper
• Nanotube enhanced carbon grids as top electrodes for fully printable mesoscopic semitransparent perovskite solar cells

  2017cited by this paper
• Emergence of highly transparent photovoltaics for distributed applications

  2017cited by this paper
• Long lifetime stable and efficient semitransparent organic solar cells using a ZnMgO-modified cathode combined with a thin MoO3/Ag anode

  2017cited by this paper
• Enhancement of Light Absorption in Photovoltaic Devices using Textured Polydimethylsiloxane Stickers.

  2017cited by this paper
• Impact of Photon Recycling on the Open-Circuit Voltage of Metal Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

  2016cited by this paper
• High-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells: status and perspectives

  2016cited by this paper
• Design of esthetic color for thin-film silicon semi-transparent photovoltaic modules

  2015cited by this paper
• Neutral-Color Semitransparent Organic Solar Cells with All-Graphene Electrodes.

  2015cited by this paper
• Photon transport enhanced by transverse Anderson localization in disordered superlattices

  2014cited by this paper
• Random nanolasing in the Anderson localized regime.

  2014cited by this paper
• Near‐Infrared Harvesting Transparent Luminescent Solar Concentrators

  2014cited by this paper
• Neutral color semitransparent microstructured perovskite solar cells.

  2014cited by this paper
• Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV): Review, Potentials, Barriers and Myths

  2013cited by this paper
• Large-area free-standing ultrathin single-crystal silicon as processable materials.

  2013cited by this paper
• Toward High‐Performance Semi‐Transparent Polymer Solar Cells: Optimization of Ultra‐Thin Light Absorbing Layer and Transparent Cathode Architecture

  2013cited by this paper
• Rigid/flexible transparent electronics based on separated carbon nanotube thin-film transistors and their application in display electronics.

  2012cited by this paper
• Semi-transparent polymer solar cells with 6% PCE, 25% average visible transmittance and a color rendering index close to 100 for power generating window applications

  2012cited by this paper
• Transparent, near-infrared organic photovoltaic solar cells for window and energy-scavenging applications

  2011cited by this paper
• Strong Internal and External Luminescence as Solar Cells Approach the Shockley–Queisser Limit

  2011cited by this paper
• Graphics Processing Units for Handhelds

  2008cited by this paper
• Thin-Film Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells: Physics and Technology

  2003cited by this paper
• Industrial manufacturing of semitransparent crystalline silicon POWER solar cells

  2002cited by this paper
• Latest results on semitransparent POWER silicon solar cells

  2001cited by this paper
• Optical gain in silicon nanocrystals

  2000cited by this paper
• A porous silicon-based optical interferometric biosensor.

  1997cited by this paper
• Accurate measurements of the silicon intrinsic carrier density from 78 to 340 K

  1993cited by this paper
• Minority carrier recombination in heavily-doped silicon

  1983cited by this paper
• Statistical ray optics

  1982cited by this paper
• Intensity enhancement in textured optical sheets for solar cells

  1982cited by this paper
• Visual Acuity in Newborn Primate Infants.∗

  1964cited by this paper
• Detailed Balance Limit of Efficiency of p‐n Junction Solar Cells

  1961cited by this paper

• Ultrathin Grid-Structured Crystalline Silicon Films with Through-Hole Arrays for Flexible and Transparent Wearable Optoelectronics.

  2026cites this paper
• Transparent Photovoltaics Based on Luminescent Solar Concentrators: Efficiency Bottlenecks, Material Design, and Future Prospects

  2026cites this paper
• Effects of film thickness on the optical properties and thermal management ability of DC magnetron sputtered ITO films with visible light transmission and near-infrared light reflection applied in photovoltaic cell

  2026cites this paper
• Geometric Design for Light Trapping in Bifacial Thin-Film Photovoltaics

  2025cites this paper
• Advanced Sensory Hardware for Intelligent Eye‐Machine Interfacing: from Wearables to Bionics

  2025cites this paper
• Design of Perovskite Nanowire Solar Cells with an Adjustable Transmission Visible Light Spectrum.

  2025cites this paper
• Color Tuning and Efficiency Enhancement of Transparent c‐Si Solar Cells with Ag/TiO2 Double Layer

  2025cites this paper
• Market Potential Evaluation of Photovoltaic Technologies in the Context of Future Architectural Trends

  2025cites this paper
• Development of a comprehensive simulation to explore the energy-saving and daylighting features of a multifunctional window in tropical climates

  2025cites this paper
• Enhancing building efficiency: Multifunctional glazing windows with integrated semitransparent PV and selective liquid-filters

  2025cites this paper
• Transparent Photovoltaics Using Parallel Silicon Strips in Polymer Scaffold

  2025cites this paper
• Scalable hybrid solar window with high transparency, high efficiency, and superior color rendering

  2025cites this paper
• Random Micro‐Pyramids for Transparent c‐Si Solar Cells: Enabling 16.1% Efficiency with Wavelength‐Independent 20% Transmittance

  2025cites this paper
• Semi-Opaque Perovskite Solar Cells for Color-Neutral Photovoltaic Windows

  2025cites this paper
• Colloidal Opaline Composites as Throughput‐Scalable, Fully Transparent, and Color‐Tunable Radiative Cooling Exterior Films for Outdoor Photovoltaics

  2025cites this paper
• Biomimetic Conical Microhole Architecture Enabling 18.4%-Efficient Silicon Solar Cells with Superior Durability

  2025cites this paper
• Low‐Cost and Stable Semitransparent Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells via Two‐Step Laser Processing

  2025cites this paper
• Green‐Solvent‐Processed Scalable Semi‐Transparent Organic Solar Modules with 9.4% Efficiency and 42% Visible Transparency for Energy‐Generating Windows

  2025cites this paper
• Organic and Inorganic Photoactive Absorbers for Wavelength‐Selective Transparent Photovoltaic Devices: Focus Review

  2024cites this paper
• Novel Approach to Color‐Neutral Transparent Solar Cells: An Organic‐Si Hybrid Achieved by Laser Microhole Drilling

  2024cites this paper
• High-performance and multifunctional organic photovoltaic devices

  2024cites this paper
• Versatile charge collection materials in perovskite photovoltaics

  2024cites this paper
• Neutral‐Colored Transparent Radiative Cooler by Tailoring Solar Absorption with Punctured Bragg Reflectors

  2024cites this paper
• All-back-contact neutral-colored transparent crystalline silicon solar cells enabling seamless modularization

  2024cites this paper
• Translucent Si Solar Cells Patterned with Pulsed Ultraviolet Laser Beam

  2024cites this paper
• Photovoltaic windows based on ultrathin transition-metal dichalcogenides: natural indoor illumination spectra and energy-saving potential

  2024cites this paper
• Holistic Thermo-Optical Design of Laminate Layers for Halide Perovskite Photovoltaic Windows

  2024cites this paper
• State-of-Art Techniques for Photovoltaic (PV) Power Systems and their Impacts

  2024cites this paper
• A Review on Recycling of Solar Photovoltaic Modules for Recovery of Metals

  2024cites this paper
• Solution-Processed Thin Film Transparent Photovoltaics: Present Challenges and Future Development

  2024influential citation
• Tunable distributed Bragg reflector developed by magnetron sputtering to improve the power conversion efficiency of transparent IR cells for solar energy harvesting applications.

  2024cites this paper
• Aesthetically Appealing Building Integrated Photovoltaic Systems for Net-Zero Energy Buildings. Current Status, Challenges, and Future Developments—A Review

  2023cites this paper
• Current performance and future development paths of transparent PV glazing in a multi-domain perspective

  2023cites this paper
• Smart Energy Nanotech Solutions for the Energy Sector

  2023cites this paper
• See‐Through Flexible Photovoltaic Modules of Ultrathin Silicon Solar Microcells Enhanced by Synergistic Luminescent and Reflective Near‐Infrared Backplanes

  2023cites this paper
• Energy and Thermal Performance Analysis of Quantum Dot Luminescent Solar Concentrators in Greenhouses

  2023cites this paper
• Recent Progress in Materials and Device Design for Semitransparent Photovoltaic Technologies

  2023cites this paper
• Neutral-colored transparent solar cells with radiative cooling and wide-angle anti-reflection

  2023cites this paper
• Minimizing the Carrier Collection Loss of the Neutral-Color Transparent Crystalline-silicon Solar Modules via Hybrid Electrode Design.

  2023cites this paper
• Review of the Chosen Methods of Producing Front Contacts to Transparent Conductive Oxides Layers in Photovoltaic Structures

  2022cites this paper
• Perovskite microcells fabricated using swelling-induced crack propagation for colored solar windows

  2022cites this paper
• Up-to-date literature review on Solar PV systems: Technology progress, market status and R&D

  2022cites this paper
• Tunable Photovoltaics: Adapting Solar Cell Technologies to Versatile Applications

  2022cites this paper
• A theoretical study of non-fullerene electron acceptor-based on thiophene derivatives for organic solar cells

  2022cites this paper
• Selective Solar Harvesting Windows for Full‐Spectrum Utilization

  2022cites this paper
• Bifacial perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells

  2022cites this paper
• n-Ga2O3/p-SnS heterojunction thin-films based transparent photovoltaic device

  2022cites this paper
• Economic value and acceptability of advanced solar power systems for multi-unit residential buildings: The case of South Korea

  2022cites this paper
• Infrared Transparent and Electromagnetic Shielding Correlated Metals via Lattice-Orbital-Charge Coupling.

  2022cites this paper
• High Light‐Utilization‐Efficiency Organic Photovoltaic Windows with Over 40% Transmittance Enabled by a Printable Bionic Photonic Reflector

  2022cites this paper
• Near ultra-violet absorbers for transparent organic solar cells

  2022cites this paper
• Transparent and Multi‐Foldable Nanocellulose Paper Microsupercapacitors

  2022cites this paper
• Vertically aligned nanocomposite films by self‐assembled epitaxial nucleation for super‐broadband transparent conductors

  2022cites this paper
• Micromachined Flexible Semi-Transparent Silicon Solar Cells as Power Sources for Microsystems

  2021cites this paper
• Large-Area Transparent 'Quantum Dot Glass' for Building Integrated Photovoltaics

  2021cites this paper
• Recently-explored top electrode materials for transparent organic solar cells

  2021cites this paper
• Colorful Transparent Silicon Photovoltaics with Unprecedented Flexibility

  2021cites this paper
• Colorful Conducting Polymer Nanocomposites Brighten up Silicon Solar Cells

  2021cites this paper
• Liquid Crystalline Cholesteric Reflective Layers for Colored Silicon-Based Solar Cells

  2021cites this paper
• Transparent organic photovoltaics: A strategic niche to advance commercialization

  2021cites this paper
• Design, Development, and Characterization of Low Distortion Advanced Semitransparent Photovoltaic Glass for Buildings Applications

  2021cites this paper
• New non-fullerene electron acceptors-based on quinoxaline derivatives for organic photovoltaic cells: DFT computational study

  2021cites this paper
• Scalable semitransparent prototype organic photovoltaic module with minimal resistance loss

  2021cites this paper
• Current status and perspective of colored photovoltaic modules

  2021cites this paper
• Optical simulations to inform the design of UV-absorbing organic materials and solar cells

  2021cites this paper
• Transparent and Colored Solar Photovoltaics for Building Integration

  2021cites this paper
• Long-term photovoltaic performance of thin-film solar cells with diffractive microlens arrays on glass substrates

  2021cites this paper
• Transparent Photovoltaics for Self-Powered Bioelectronics and Neuromorphic Applications.

  2021cites this paper
• Silicon Nanowire Design for Ultrahigh Extinction by Dipole Near-Field Interaction in Transparent Solar Cells

  2021cites this paper
• Colorful conducting polymers for vivid solar panels

  2021cites this paper
• Technical Challenges and Perspectives for the Commercialization of Solution‐Processable Solar Cells

  2021cites this paper
• Recent progress in aqueous based flexible energy storage devices

  2020cites this paper
• Ultraviolet and Near‐Infrared Dual‐Band Selective‐Harvesting Transparent Luminescent Solar Concentrators

  2020cites this paper
• Perovskite phase change materials targeting smart photovoltaic window applications

  2020cites this paper
• Practically Viable Approach to Efficient and Reliable Semitransparent Flexible Organic Solar Cells: Face‐Seal Encapsulation Embedded with Tailored Color‐Control Functionality

  2020cites this paper
• Transparent Supercapacitors: From Optical Theories to Optoelectronics Applications

  2020cites this paper
• The Development of Transparent Photovoltaics

  2020cites this paper
• Colorful opaque photovoltaic modules with down-converting InP/ZnSexS1-x quantum dot layers

  2020cites this paper
• Visibly Transparent Solar Windows Based on Colloidal Silicon Quantum Dots and Front-Facing Silicon Photovoltaic Cells.

  2020cites this paper
• Color-neutral, semitransparent organic photovoltaics for power window applications

  2020cites this paper
• All-self-metered solution-coating process in ambient air for the fabrication of efficient, large-area, and semitransparent perovskite solar cells

  2020cites this paper