Lanthanide complexes embedded in silicone resin as a spectral converter for solar cells

Abstract

The performance of solar cell devices is dependent on various factors, and the spectral mismatch limits the upper limit of performance. Using a spectral converter to manipulate solar radiation is one way to improve solar cell efficiency. We present herein a spectral converter to move the short-wavelength (< 400 nm) range of solar radiation to the longer-wavelength range. The spectral converter comprises fluorescent lanthanide complexes uniformly embedded in silicone resin. A successful spectral converter showed transmittance of over 85%, and when applied in a Si solar cell, its relative efficiency was increased up to 4%.