Improvement of the photovoltaic device performance with TeO2–GeO2–PbO cover layer doped with Eu3+, ZnO, TiO2, and Ag nanoparticles

his work reports the enhancement of Si solar cell efficiency using TeO2–GeO2–PbO (TGP) glasses, as a coating layer. The glasses were fabricated using the melt-quenching technique, with different concentrations of ZnO and TiO2 to investigate their influence on the down-conversion processes induced by Eu3+ ions, with and without Ag nanoparticles (NPs), and their impact on solar cell performance. The highest efficiency improvements were observed when the solar cell was covered with glass samples exhibiting high luminescence and relatively high transmittance. In this context, ZnO-doped samples stood out among all the samples, achieving the highest efficiency enhancement compared to the uncovered solar cell, with a maximum increase of 16.39 % for the sample doped with 1.0 % Eu2O3 0.5 % ZnO 0.5 % AgNO3 (in wt%). The TiO2-doped samples also showed improved efficiency results; however, their values were relatively lower than the results obtained for the sample doped with 1.0 % Eu2O3, due to their reduced transmittance. In conclusion, incorporating ZnO and TiO2 induced structural modifications that influenced the local environment of the luminescent dopants, thereby optimizing their optical properties. These effects are particularly relevant in photovoltaic applications, where achieving a balance between high luminescence and transmittance is essential for enhancing solar cell performance.