Objective The minority carrier diffusion lengths are small in polycrystalline or amorphous materials used in thin film solar cells, requiring thin layers to maximize charge collection. This is contradictory for the requirement to maximize solar energy absorption. The optical design consisting in increasing solar cell’s light-trapping capability is of prime importance. In order to provide total internal reflection, both randomly textured surfaces and regularly patterned surfaces have been investigated. No one of these approaches provides optimal light trapping because no one is suitable for the broad solar spectrum.Recent approaches involving new TCO layers show that double textures provide improved scattering. The AGATHA project aims to realize an advanced light trapping design by combining micro-texturing of glass by hot embossing and nano-texturing of the top TCO layer by etching. The parameters of this “modulated surface texture” can be adjusted to maximize the light scattering in all the solar spectrum to provide a significant increase in both short-circuit current and EQE. Suitable for high production throughput, the new texturation process chain developed in AGATHA fits with the intrinsic low cost nature of thin film solar cellsTo demonstrate the efficiency of this optical trapping design, the modulated texture concept will be implemented in a-Si:H based, µ-c-Si:H based and CIGS based thin films technologies. The objective is to reduce the active material thickness, from 250 nm up to 150 nm for the a-Si:H, from 1.5 µm up to 1 µm for µc-Si:H and from 2.5 µm up to 800 nm for the CIGS, when increasing the short circuit current of 15 % The choice of these technologies aims to maximize the impact by addressing 70% of the thin film market. According to typical solar cells cost structure, a 15 % reduction of the cost/m2 is achievable. Combined with the Jsc improvement, the implementation of modulated surface texture should result in a 20 % decrease of the €/W indicator.AGATHA is an EU coordinated project in the framework of call FP7-ENERGY-2010-INDIA, foreseeing a simultaneous start with the Indian coordinated project. Accordingly, the Indian project should start at the latest within 3 months of the signature of the EU grant agreement. Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energyengineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films Programme(s) FP7-ENERGY - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Energy Topic(s) ENERGY.2010.2.1-2 - Development of novel materials, device structures and fabrication methods suitable for thin film solar cells and TCOs including organic photovoltaics. EU - India Coordinated Call Call for proposal FP7-ENERGY-2010-INDIA See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CP - Collaborative project (generic) Coordinator COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES EU contribution € 509 355,25 Address RUE LEBLANC 25 75015 PARIS 15 France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Fabrice Togna (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT Netherlands EU contribution € 400 717,99 Address STEVINWEG 1 2628 CN Delft See on map Region West-Nederland Zuid-Holland Delft en Westland Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Jan D Van Den Bos (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data 3SUN SRL Italy EU contribution € 183 780,00 Address CONTRADA BLOCCO TORRAZZE ZONA INDUSTRIALE 95121 CATANIA See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Valentino Rossi (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data MANTIS DEPOSITION LIMITED United Kingdom EU contribution € 103 483,00 Address 2 Goodson Industrial Mews, Wellington Street OX9 3BX THAME See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact David Joyce (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GMBH Germany EU contribution € 342 411,62 Address WILHELM JOHNEN STRASSE 52428 Julich See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Düren Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Anne Bosch (Mrs.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data STMICROELECTRONICS SRL Participation ended Italy EU contribution No data Address VIA C.OLIVETTI 2 20864 Agrate Brianza See on map Region Nord-Ovest Lombardia Monza e della Brianza Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Cristina Di Gesù (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
