@article {micro1020016,
	title = {Soft-Microstructured Transparent Electrodes for Photonic-Enhanced Flexible Solar Cells},
	journal = {Micro},
	volume = {1},
	number = {2},
	year = {2021},
	note = {n/a},
	pages = {215{\textendash}227},
	abstract = {<p>Microstructured transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) have shown great potential as photonic electrodes in photovoltaic (PV) applications, providing both optical and electrical improvements in the solar cells{\textquoteright} performance due to: (1) strong light trapping effects that enhance broadband light absorption in PV material and (2) the reduced sheet resistance of the front illuminated contact. This work developed a method for the fabrication and optimization of wavelength-sized indium zinc oxide (IZO) microstructures, which were soft-patterned on flexible indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates via a simple, low-cost, versatile, and highly scalable colloidal lithography process. Using this method, the ITO-coated PET substrates patterned with IZO micro-meshes provided improved transparent electrodes endowed with strong light interaction effects{\textemdash}namely, a pronounced light scattering performance (diffuse transmittance up to ~50\%). In addition, the photonic-structured IZO mesh allowed a higher volume of TCO material in the electrode while maintaining the desired transparency, which led to a sheet resistance reduction (by ~30\%), thereby providing further electrical benefits due to the improvement of the contact conductance. The results reported herein pave the way for a new class of photonic transparent electrodes endowed with mechanical flexibility that offer strong potential not only as advanced front contacts for thin-film bendable solar cells but also for a much broader range of optoelectronic applications.</p>
},
	issn = {2673-8023},
	doi = {10.3390/micro1020016},
	url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8023/1/2/16},
	author = {Boane, Jenny L. N. and Centeno, Pedro and Mouquinho, Ana and Alexandre, Miguel and Calmeiro, Tom{\'a}s and Fortunato, Elvira and Martins, Rodrigo and Mendes, Manuel J and {\'A}guas, Hugo}
}
