Dispersible Eu3+-doped NaYF4 downshifting material for screen-printed monocrystalline silicon solar cells

Oleic acid-coated Eu3+-doped NaYF4 nanorods were hydrothermally synthesized using a modified liquid-solid-solution synthetic strategy. The Eu3+-doped NaYF4 nanorods constituted a downshifting material (DM). They were then spin-coated onto the front surface of a screen-printed monocrystalline silicon solar cell (SMSSC), to improve its photovoltaic performance. Intense and well-resolved photoluminescent lines in the wavelength range of 450–750 nm were exhibited by the Eu3+-doped NaYF4 DM, under ultraviolet excitation. The absolute conversion efficiency of the SMSSC improved by 0.6% from 15.5% to 16.1%, upon incorporating the Eu3+-doped NaYF4 DM.