Superhydrophobic and antireflective nanograss-coated glass for high performance solar cells

Abstract

We present a facile method for producing superhydrophobic nanograss-coated (SNGC) glass surfaces that possess both reduced reflectivity and self-cleaning properties at the air/glass interface. The refractive index of a CaF2 nanograss (NG) layer on a glass substrate, deposited by glancing angle vapor deposition, is 1.04 at 500 nm, which is the second-lowest value ever reported so far. The fluorinated NG layer gives rise to a high water contact angle (>150 degrees) and very efficient cleaning out of dust with water drops. Using the dual functionalities of the SNGC glass, we demonstrate superhydrophobic and antireflective organic photovoltaic cells with excellent power conversion efficiency.