HomeIndustrial Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia
Journal of Ovonic Research 2026, 22(4),13-26; https://doi.org/10.15251/JOR.2026.224.13
This study investigates the optical and photovoltaic performance of Zinc sulphide (ZnS), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and ZnS/MoS2 composite anti-reflection coatings deposited on monocrystalline silicon solar cells by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Bare, ZnS-coated, MoS2-coated, and ZnS/MoS2 composite-coated samples were compared using structural, morphological, optical, electrical, photovoltaic, and thermal analyses. The ZnS/MoS2 composite coating showed the best performance, reducing reflectance to 5.56% and increasing transmittance to 94.15%. The coated cell achieved a short-circuit current density of 42.37 mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage of 0.648 V, a fill factor of 80%, and a power conversion efficiency of 21.96%. The surface temperature of the composite-coated cell was approximately 33 °C under the tested conditions. These results demonstrate that the ZnS/MoS2 composite coating can improve light management and photovoltaic performance in monocrystalline silicon solar cells.
1. Ahmed, R.; & Tamim, M. T. R. The future of energy: Exploring renewable and non-renewable resources. International Journal of Science Education and Science 2025, 2(2), 85-105. https://doi.org/10.56566/ijses.v2i2.327
2. Shah, B. S.; Tailor, J. P.; Chaki, S. H.; & Deshpande, M. P. SCAPS 1D based study of hole and electron transfer layers to improve MoS2-ZrS2 solar cell efficiency. Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering 2024, 32(6), 065015. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-651X/ad5a2b
3. Gulomov, J., Aliev, R., Mirzaalimov, A., Mirzaalimov, N., Kakhkhorov, J., Rashidov, B., & Temirov, S. Studying the effect of light incidence angle on photoelectric parameters of solar cells by simulation. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development 2021, 10(4), 731-736. https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.2021.36277
4. Parasuraman, R., & Rathnakannan, K. Thermal analysis in 3-D simulation of thin-film ZnO/MoS₂/Si solar cells. Multiscale and Multidisciplinary Modeling, Experiments and Design 2024, 7(4), 3815-3826. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41939-024-00440-4
5. Wang, Y., & He, J. Recent progress in outermost surface engineering for solar panels. Nanoscale 2025, 17(27), 16071-16099. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5NR00621J
6. Datta, R., Munson, C. D., Niemack, M. D., McMahon, J. J., Britton, J., Wollack, E. J., Beall, J., Devlin, M. J., Fowler, J., Gallardo, P., Hubmayr, J., Irwin, K., Newburgh, L., Nibarger, J. P., Page, L., Quijada, M. A., Schmitt, B. L., Staggs, S. T., Thornton, R., & Zhang, L. Large-aperture wide-bandwidth antireflection-coated silicon lenses for millimeter wavelengths. Applied Optics 2013, 52(36), 8747-8758. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.52.008747
7. Uzum, A., Kanda, H., Fukui, H., Izumi, T., Harada, T., & Ito, S. Totally vacuum-free processed crystalline silicon solar cells over 17.5% conversion efficiency. Photonics 2017, 4(3), 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics4030042
8. Chen, D. Anti-reflection (AR) coatings made by sol-gel processes: A review. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2001, 68(3-4), 313-336. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0927-0248(00)00365-2
9. Kanmaz, I., Tomakin, M., & Uzum, A. Analysis of CeO2/SiO2 double-layer thin film stack with antireflection effect for silicon solar cells. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics 2024, 35(22), 1497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-024-13245-5
10. Lien, S. Y., Wuu, D. S., Yeh, W. C., & Liu, J. C. Tri-layer antireflection coatings (SiO2/SiO2-TiO2/TiO2) for silicon solar cells using a sol-gel technique. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 2006, 90(16), 2710-2719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2006.04.001
11. Hou, G., García, I., & Rey-Stolle, I. High-low refractive index stacks for broadband antireflection coatings for multijunction solar cells. Solar Energy 2021, 217, 29-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2021.01.060
12. Prashantha, S., Rajasekar, R., Gobinath, V. K., Raja, G., Subha, K., & Manjunath, K. S. Augmenting the performance of photovoltaic cell through surface coating of molybdenum disulphide. Chalcogenide Letters 2021, 18(4), 161-170. https://doi.org/10.15251/CL.2021.184.161
13. Xue, C. R., Gu, Y. Q., & Deng, M. L. Investigation on antireflection coatings for silicon solar cells. Applied Mechanics and Materials 2014, 521, 33-36. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.521.33
14. Karimzadeh, S., Safaei, B., Yuan, C., & Jen, T. C. Emerging atomic layer deposition for the development of high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Electrochemical Energy Reviews 2023, 6(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41918-023-00192-8
15. Rooprai, R. S., Singh, V., Singh, J., Bansal, A., & Singla, A. K. Optimizing wear performance in vanadium-carbide-reinforced AISI316 composite claddings via wire arc additive manufacturing. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance 2025, 34(23), 28374-28390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-025-11312-4
16. Rooprai, R. S., Singh, J., Bansal, A., Singh, V., & Singla, A. K. RSM investigation of dry abrasion in WAAM fabricated inconel 625 cladding on EN8 steel. Progress in Additive Manufacturing 2026, 11(3), 2373-2391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-025-01473-y
17. Velu Kaliyannan, G., Gunasekaran, R., Rathanasamy, R., Kandasamy, S., Anand Raj, M. K., Sivaraj, S., & Sellamuthu, K. Enhanced mechanical and tribological behavior of Al356 hybrid composites reinforced with TiB2-SiC-fly ash for automotive applications. Materials Testing 2026, 68(4), 755-765. https://doi.org/10.1515/mt-2025-0424
18. Springer, J., Poruba, A., & Vanecek, M. Improved three-dimensional optical model for thin-film silicon solar cells. Journal of Applied Physics 2004, 96(9), 5329-5337. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1784555
19. Yeh, P. S., Chen, C. W., Yang, B. R., & Hong, L. S. Light-scattering effectiveness of two-dimensional disordered surface textures in thin-film silicon solar cells. Applied Optics 2014, 53(13), 2847-2852. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.53.002847
20. Baranowska-Korczyc, A., Kościński, M., Coy, E. L., Grześkowiak, B. F., Jasiurkowska-Delaporte, M., Peplińska, B., & Jurga, S. ZnS coating for enhanced environmental stability and improved properties of ZnO thin films. RSC Advances 2018, 8(43), 24411-24421. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8RA02823K
21. Narasimhan, V. K., & Cui, Y. Nanostructures for photon management in solar cells. Nanophotonics 2013, 2(3), 187-210. https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2013-0001
22. Liang, H., Wang, F., Cheng, Z., Xu, C., Li, G., & Shuai, Y. Full-spectrum solar energy utilization and enhanced solar energy harvesting via photon anti-reflection and scattering performance using biomimetic nanophotonic structure. ES Energy & Environment 2020, 8, 29-41. https://doi.org/10.30919/esee8c456
23. Reddy, R. M., Chirag, S., Anu, T., Venkataramanan, A. R., Karthikeyan, S., Palaniswamy, D., Venugopal Goud, E., Dineshbabu, N., & Thirugnanasambandham, T. Boosting power efficiency in polycrystalline silicon solar cells: Antimony selenide sputter coating with advanced optical, electrical, and thermal insights. Chalcogenide Letters 2025, 22(7), 615-624. https://doi.org/10.15251/CL.2025.227.615
24. Anbupalani, M. S., Venkatachalam, C. D., Rathanasamy, R., & Velu Kaliyannan, G. Employing SiO2/TiO2/ZrO2 blends for boosting the power conversion efficiency of polycrystalline Si solar cells. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics 2023, 34(33), 2184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-023-11589-y
25. Alkallas, F. H., Alghamdi, S. M., Velu Kaliyannan, G., Gunasekaran, R., Rathanasamy, R., Ben Gouider Trabelsi, A., Elsharkawy, W., Mostafa, A. M., & Palaniappan, S. K. Enhanced efficiency of mono-crystalline Si solar cells utilizing RF sputtered TiO2-Al2O3 blended anti-reflection coating for optimal sunlight transmission and energy conversion. Ceramics International 2024, 50(9), 14865-14877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2024.01.402
26. Hocine, D., Belkaid, M. S., Pasquinelli, M., Escoubas, L., Simon, J. J., Rivière, G. A., & Moussi, A. Improved efficiency of multicrystalline silicon solar cells by TiO2 antireflection coatings derived by APCVD process. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 2013, 16(1), 113-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2012.06.004
27. Sagar, R., & Rao, A. Nanoscale TiO2 and Ta2O5 as efficient antireflection coatings on commercial monocrystalline silicon solar cell. Journal of Alloys and Compounds 2021, 862, 158464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.158464
