Solar selective absorbers based on Al2O3:W cermets and AlSiN/AlSiON layers

• W/AlSiN/AlSiON/SiO2 tandem absorber for solar selective absorption.
• Dielectric function of each layer was modelled and used to build the absorber.
• Excellent thermal stability of the coating after 2500 h at 400 °C in air.

Solar selective coatings based on double Al2O3:W cermet layers and AlSiN/AlSiON bilayer structures were prepared by magnetron sputtering. Both were deposited on stainless steel substrates using a metallic tungsten (W) layer as back reflector. The coating stacks were completed by an antireflection (AR) layer composed of Al2O3, SiO2, or AlSiOx. Spectrophotometer measurements, X-Ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry were used to characterize the optical properties, crystalline structure, morphology and composition of these coatings. The spectral optical constants of the single layers were calculated from the reflectance and transmittance measurements and used to design the optical stack. The coatings exhibit a solar absorptance of 93–95% and an emissivity of 7–10% (at 400 °C). The coatings also exhibit excellent thermal stability, with small changes in the optical properties of the coating during heat-treatments at 400 °C in air for 2500 h and at 580 °C in vacuum for 850 h. The coating based on the AlSiN/AlSiON bilayer structure was obtained with an Al:Si ratio of 2.5:1. These coatings revealed similar performance as the one obtained with coatings based on Al2O3:W cermet layers.