Polymer films with silver nanoparticles improve the spectral characteristics of photovoltaic converters

A method for the synthesis of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) films containing silver nanoparticles has been developed. The properties of films applied as antireflection coatings have been studied on silicon photovoltaic converters with and without Si$_3$N$_4$ layers. It was established that the PVB coating with the maximum concentration of silver nanoparticles (7 mmol/L) provided a more than 20% increase in the external quantum yield in the 500–1000 nm spectral range for solar cells without a Si$_3$N$_4$ layer. In the case of these functional coatings on photovoltaic converters with a Si$_3$N$_4$ layer, the quantum yield increased on average by 10% in the 400–1000 nm wavelength interval and by 15–20% in the 320–400 nm interval.