Photovoltaics
Plasma treatment has advanced the research of novel photovoltaics (solar panels) for renewable energy applications. Harrick Plasma Cleaners are frequently used to treat photovoltaic components before applying thin films that improve charge transfer or mechanical stability. Plasma treatment removes nanoscale contaminants without toxic chemicals. Additionally, plasma cleaning can functionalize surfaces to increase their wettability (hydrophilicity). Increasing the wettability ensures good adhesion between the substrate and the deposited thin film.
Both flexible and rigid photovoltaic components have been processed using our plasma cleaners. Examples include titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as well as stainless steel/cobalt-chromium (SS-Co-Cr) receivers for parabolic trough collectors (PTCs).
For more information on the role of plasma treatment in the assembly of photovoltaics, please see the following application notes:
Zinc Oxide Films
Creative Commons license. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an exciting alternative wide bandgap semiconductor that has promising use in sensors and flexible electronics. Plasma treatment can be applied to prepare surfaces for ZnO deposition, improve electrical properties through...
TiO2 Nanostructures for Solar Cells
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have been heavily investigated as a promising low-cost alternative to silicon-based solar cells. A combination of TiCl4 chemical and O2 plasma treatment has been studied to improve the performance of DSSCs based on...