Application of millimeter-sized polymer cylindrical lens array concentrators in solar cells

A unique method is proposed to encapsulate solar cells and improve their power conversion efficiency by using a millimeter-sized cylindrical lens array concentrator. Millimeter-sized epoxy resin polymer (ERP) cylindrical lens array concentrators are fabricated by the soft imprint technique based on polydimethylsiloxane stamps. The photovoltaic measurements show that millimeter-sized ERP cylindrical lens array concentrators can considerably improve the power conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells. The validity of the proposed method is proved by the coupled optical and electrical simulations. The designed solar cell devices with the advantages of high-efficiency and convenient cleaning are very useful in practical applications.