TITLE:
Theoretical Study of the Electrical Performance of a Silicon Solar Cell Coated with Anti-Reflective Layers: Current-Voltage Characteristic and Power
AUTHORS:
Moulaye Diagne, Abel Sambou, Abou Bakary Coulibaly, Ismaila Badji, Oumar Absatou Niasse, Bassirou Ba
KEYWORDS:
Silicon, Anti-Reflective Coating, Photocurrent, I-V Characteristic, Power
JOURNAL NAME:
Materials Sciences and Applications,
Vol.17 No.10,
October
27,
2026
ABSTRACT: This paper presents a theoretical study of the electrical performance of a silicon solar cell coated with anti-reflective layers (MgF2, SiO2, ZrO2 and TiO2). Building on the reduction in optical reflection achieved by these coatings, established in a companion study, this work focuses on their impact on the cell’s current-voltage characteristic and power output. Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics revealed that the ZrO2-coated cell exhibits the highest short-circuit current density, with an improvement of approximately 47 per cent compared with bare silicon. Furthermore, an analysis of the power output from the cell showed that the maximum power increased from 198.89 mW/cm2 for bare silicon to 298.78 mW/cm2 for the ZrO2-coated cell, representing an improvement of approximately 50.22 per cent. Consequently, silicon solar cells equipped with an anti-reflective coating, particularly one made of ZrO2, offer considerable potential for improving the electrical performance of solar cells.