**5. Acknowledgment**

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Science Council of Taiwan, R.O.C. under Contract No. NSC-98-2112-M155-001-MY3 and NSC-99-2221-E-155- 065.

## **6. References**


However, the textured surface of a 430BA SS substrate led to a lower TR rate compared to a specular surface of raw 430BA SS substrate. This was due to the trapping of light in the hollows of the highly textured surface. Moreover, coating the textured 430BA SS substrate with an Ag film substantially improved not only the DR rate but also the TR rate of the incident light. The slow increase of the TR and DR rates versus the wavelength in the IR region of the Ag coated/textured 430BA SS substrates was due to the Ag absorption effect. We believe that Ag coated/textured 430BA SS substrates can generate a random distribution

In addition, the DR and TR rate of the stripe, ridged-stripe and pyramid textured 304BA SS substrate were investigated to determine the optimal surface for increasing their light trapping efficiency. The DR rate increased with the increase in the total effective area of the Ag film coated/stripe textured 304BA SS substrate. It is believed that the tilt angle of the textured 304BA SS substrate increases the DR rate. The experimental results showed that the DR rate and the TR rate of the Ag film coated/ ridged-stripe textured 304BA SS substrate can achieve up to ~97% and 98% efficiency, respectively. The DR and TR rate of the Ag film coated/ridged-stripe textured 304BA SS substrates increased 28-fold and 1.4-fold, respectively, compared with the untreated 304BA SS substrate. The drastically increased DR rate is due to not only the increase in total effective area, but also to the decrease in the opening angle of the ridged textured substrate which generates a more random distribution

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Science Council of Taiwan, R.O.C. under Contract No. NSC-98-2112-M155-001-MY3 and NSC-99-2221-E-155-

Banerjee A. and S. Guha. (1991). Study of back reflectors for amorphous silicon alloy solar

Curtin Benjamin, Rana Biswas, and Vikram Dalal. (2009). Photonic crystal based back

Chau Joseph Lik Hang, Ruei-Tang Chen, Gan-Lin Hwang, Ping-Yuan Tsai and Chien-Chu

Deckman H. W., C. R. Wronski, H. Wittzke, and E. Yablonovitch. (1983). Optically enhanced amorphous silicon solar cells. *Appl. Phys. Lett.,* Vol. 42, pp. 968., ISSN: 1077-3118. Ferlanto A. S., G. M. Ferreira, J. M. Pearce, C. R. Wronski, R. W. Collins, X. Deng, and G.

reflectors for light management and enhanced absorption in amorphous silicon

Lin. (2010). Transparent solar cell window module. *Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells.,* 

Ganguly. (2002). Analytical model for the optical functions of amorphous semiconductors from the near-infrared to ultraviolet: Applications in thin film

cell application. *J. Appl. Phys.,* Vol. 69, pp. 1030., ISSN: 1089-7550

solar cells. *Appl. Phys. Lett.* Vol. 95, pp. 231102., ISSN: 1077-3118

photovoltaics*. J. Appl. Phys.,* Vol. 92, pp. 2424., ISSN: 1089-7550

Vol. 94, pp. 588., ISSN: 0927-0248*.*

of light, increase the light trapping efficiency and be applied in thin films solar cells.

of light by scattering.

**5. Acknowledgment** 

**6. References** 

065.


**3** 

*R. of Macedonia* 

**Low Cost Solar Cells Based on Cuprous Oxide** 

The worldwide quest for clean and renewable energy sources has encouraged large research activities and developments in the field of solar cells. In recent years, considerable attention has been devoted to the development of low cost energy converting devices. One of the most interesting products of photoelectric researches is the semiconductor cuprous oxide cell. As a solar cell material, cuprous oxide -Cu2O, has the advantages of low cost and great availability. The potential for Cu2O using in semiconducting devices has been recognized since, at least, 1920. Interest in Cu2O revived during the mid seventies in the photovoltaic community (Olsen et al.,1982). Several primary characteristics of Cu2O make it potential material for use in thin film solar cells: its non-toxic nature, a theoretical solar efficiency of about 9-11%, an abundance of copper and the simple and inexpensive process for semiconductor layer formation. Therefore, it is one of the most inexpensive and available semiconductor materials for solar cells. In addition to everything else, cuprous oxide has a band gap of 2.0 eV which is within the acceptable range for solar energy conversion, because all semiconductors with band gap between 1 eV and 2 eV are favorable material for

A variety of techniques exist for preparing Cu2O films on copper or other conducting substrates such as thermal, anodic and chemical oxidation and reactive sputtering. Particularly attractive, however, is the electrodeposition method because of its economy and simplicity for deposition either on metal substrates or on transparent conducting glass slides coated with highly conducting semiconductors, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), SnO2, In2O3 etc. This offers the possibility of making back wall or front wall cells as well. We have to note that electrochemical preparation of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) thin films has reached

Electrodeposition method of Cu2O was first developed by Stareck (Stareck, 1937). It has been described by Rakhshani (Jayanetti & Dharmadasa, 1996, Mukhopadhyay et al.,1992, Rakhshani et al.1987, Rakhshani et al., 1996). In this work, a method of simple processes of

Electrochemical deposition technique is an simple, versatile and convenient method for producing large area devices. Low temperature growth and the possibility to control film thickness, morphology and composition by readily adjusting the electrical parameters, as well as the composition of the electrolytic solution, make it more attractive. At present,

**1. Introduction**

photovoltaic cells (Rai, 1988).

electrolysis has been applied.

considerable attention during the last years.

Verka Georgieva, Atanas Tanusevski1 and Marina Georgieva

*Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, 1Institute of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics,* 

*The "St. Cyril & Methodius"University, Skopje,* 

