Blu-ray disc improve solar cell performance

[ahhming]

Blu-ray discs contain a higher density of data than DVDs or CDs, and it is this quasi-random pattern, perfected by engineers over decades for data storage, that, when transferred to the surface of solar cells, provides the right texture to improve the cells' light absorption and performance.

In the field of solar cells, it is known that if texture is placed on the surface of a solar cell, light is scattered more effectively, increasing a cell's efficiency. Scientists have long been searching for the most effective texture with a reasonable manufacturing cost.

The Northwestern researchers have demonstrated that a Blu-ray disc's strings of binary code 0s and 1s, embedded as islands and pits to store video information, give solar cells the near-optimal surface texture to improve their absorption over the broad spectrum of sunlight.

 

The overall broadband absorption enhancement of a Blu-ray patterned solar cell was measured to be 21.8 percent, the researchers report.

 

Source :

http://phys.org/news/2014-11-blu-ray-disc-solar-cell.html

[Lord Baal]

So can i get my solar-cell with the entire Stargate series please haha

[Tonylu1595]

Why haven't we thought of this before?

[That Norwegian Guy]

As someone who used to make solar cells (and would still be, if not for eco-crisis) this is exciting. Though I have some doubts. Acrylic is very cheap, silicone is very... not cheap. To make raised areas on acrylic you simply laser most of the platter down leaving said 'islands'. Then you laser some more to create the pits. But for silicone, even if we're talking just 3µm, could be a lot of wasted material. Considering the etching, doping and lasering already involved in the process, while increasing efficiency, it will definitely increase cost. I wonder if they can exclude the printing areas (area of wafer directly beneath the printed silver (front) or aluminium (back)) from the lasering which would reduce the area that would need lasering by about 55%. That would be a bitch and a half for alignment of the printing modules though.

 

Wow I just geeked, sorry.

[brownninja97]

As someone who used to make solar cells (and would still be, if not for eco-crisis) this is exciting. Though I have some doubts. Acrylic is very cheap, silicone is very... not cheap. To make raised areas on acrylic you simply laser most of the platter down leaving said 'islands'. Then you laser some more to create the pits. But for silicone, even if we're talking just 3µm, could be a lot of wasted material. Considering the etching, doping and lasering already involved in the process, while increasing efficiency, it will definitely increase cost. I wonder if they can exclude the printing areas (area of wafer directly beneath the printed silver (front) or aluminium (back)) from the lasering which would reduce the area that would need lasering by about 55%. That would be a bitch and a half for alignment of the printing modules though.

 

Wow I just geeked, sorry.

umm yeah, i totally agree, i think