Polysiloxane Coating Composition for Solar Cell Light Transmittance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar cell assemblies have low electricity generation efficiency due to significant light reflection at the interface between the substrate and air, leading to wasted sunlight, and existing anti-reflective coatings using solid particles are limited in effectiveness and costly to produce.
Innovation Solution
A coating composition comprising a polysiloxane resin and inorganic particles of different sizes, specifically SiO2 particles ranging from 15 nm to 100 nm and 3 nm to <15 nm, which increases porosity and reduces the refractive index of the coating layer to 1.21 to 1.25, enhancing light transmittance and providing an anti-reflective effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If solid particles are added into resin to form anti-reflective coating, then the coating can be applied to reduce light reflection, but the refractive index of the particles is still high which limits the anti-reflective effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hollow particles with porous structures instead of solid particles. The hollow structure allows the particle to have a lower effective refractive index while maintaining the coating's anti-reflective properties. This resolves the contradiction by enabling better optical performance without sacrificing manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines hollow particles with resin to create a composite coating material. This composite structure allows the coating to achieve optimal refractive index properties while maintaining ease of application and manufacturing processes.
2Reliability
If hollow particles are used to reduce refractive index, then the anti-reflective effect is improved, but the process for preparing hollow particles is complex and has high cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the parameters of the particle structure by using hollow particles with specific size ranges (50-200 nm) and controlling the wall thickness and internal cavity dimensions. This allows the particles to achieve optimal optical properties while simplifying the preparation process through controlled synthesis methods.
3Loss of energy
If conventional anti-reflective coating is applied to glass substrate, then light reflection is reduced, but the refractive index difference between substrate and air causes excessive optical loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality modification by creating a gradient refractive index structure through the use of hollow particles with varying sizes and concentrations in the coating. This gradient structure locally optimizes the refractive index transition between the glass substrate and air, reducing optical loss while maintaining high light transmittance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The coating composition significantly reduces light reflection, increasing light transmittance by 2% or more, improving the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of solar cell assemblies while being simpler and cheaper to manufacture, facilitating industrialized production.
Implementation Method 1
Reflection of incident light on a glass substrate and destructive optical interference are reduced by means of adjusting the refractive index or thickness of the glass substrate and the film/layer applied thereon
Implementation Method 2
the refractive index of the particle can be reduced by the air or resin filled in the hole... the refractive index of the coating layer to 1.21 to 1.25
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a coating composition, which includes:(A) a polysiloxane resin, including a unit derived from a siloxane monomer, a siloxane oligomer, or a combination thereof; and(B) inorganic particles, including first SiO2 particles with a particle size ranging from 15 nm to 100 nm, and second SiO2 particles with a particle size ranging from 3 nm to <15 nm.The present invention further relates to a coating layer for enhancing light transmittance that is formed by the coating composition. According to the present invention, by using at least two types of inorganic particles with specific particle sizes to form a geometric stack, the space of pores can be increased, and therefore, the porosity of the coating layer can be increased, thereby reducing the optical refractive index of the coating layer and achieving an effect of enhancing light transmittance.