Aerosol-based deposition of broadband antireflective silica coating with closed mesoporous structure

Solar energy will be a crucial part of the sustainable, fossil free energy production of the future. A majority of this will be produced by solar collectors and photovoltaics. Important for the efficient utilization of the incident solar energy for both technologies are a cover glass with antireflective coatings giving it a high solar transmittance. In the current paper we describe the development of antireflective mesoporous silica coatings on low-iron float glass using the aerosol-based nFOG™ deposition technique. The coatings exhibit a hexagonal and closed pore structure, high smoothness, superhydrophilic properties (contact angle <5°) and consistent thicknesses of approximately 110 nm. This is in line with optimal thickness determined from simulations of the antireflective behavior. Low-iron float glass coated on both sides show a highly reproducible solar weighted transmittance of 95% in the wavelength range 300–2500 nm and an antireflective effect increasing with incident angle. The smoothness, closed pores and low contact angle indicate a high cleanability, which in combination with the high transmittance render a competitive broadband antireflective coating well adapted for solar glass applications.Development of Functional Coatings on Cover Glass for Produktion of more Efficient Solar CollectorsTransparent multifunctional thin films on low–iron float glass for solar energy application