Self-assembled silver nanowires as top electrode for poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(stylenesulfonate)/n-silicon solar cell

• Self-assembled silver nanowires were transferred using thermal release tape.
• Self-assembled silver nanowires were used as top electrode for solar cell.
• Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(stylenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-based solar cells
• PEDOT:PSS/n-Si solar cell with efficiency of 10.62% is demonstrated.
• The expected reason for the transfer of AgNWs is proposed.

We prepare transparent, self-assembled polygonal silver nanowire (AgNW) mesh by bubble template and transferred as top electrode in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(stylenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/n-silicon hybrid solar cell, which shows power conversion efficiency of 10.62% under 100 mW/cm2 of AM 1.5G illuminations. The self-assembled AgNW mesh electrode exhibited a low sheet resistance (50 Ω/square) with high transmittance (87%) at a wavelength of 550 nm. In self-assembled AgNW mesh, AgNWs are well packed making continuous path for charge collection and transportation. Nevertheless, studies have also been carried out to transfer AgNWs from donor (glass or plastic) to receiver substrates (thermal release tape) and an expected reason for the transfer of AgNWs from thermal release tape to the top of PEDOT:PSS has also been proposed.