Enhanced erosion resistance of anti-reflective TiO2/SiO2 coatings induced by Zr-oxide doping

The usage of renewable energy is an alternative countermeasure against the ongoing climatic change. In this regard, solar energy has been shown to be one of the best ways to tackle this issue. However, it has been discovered that the effectiveness of the solar panel is significantly influenced by environmental issues (dust, sand, contaminations, among others), which may induce surface erosion thus reducing the overall optical efficiency. We explored the possibility to enhance the erosion resistance for magnetron-sputtered antireflective TiO2/SiO2 coatings by Zr-oxide doping and thermal annealing. When thermally annealed at 400 °C, these coatings demonstrated excellent mechanical (in dynamic conditions) and optical properties compared with the glass substrate. Moreover, laboratory sandstorm testing verified that the coating doped with 1 at.-% Zr and annealed at 400 °C displayed the highest erosion resistance (decreased erosion rate of 98%). Consequently, doped and thermally annealed ARCs offer a unique and promising option to protect the photovoltaic (PV) glass cover against erosive wear thus enhancing the longevity and efficiency (optical and electrical) of commercially available solar panels. •Development of anti-reflective coatings using multilayer TiO2/SiO2 with Zr-oxide doping.•Assessment of mechanical properties via multi-cycle nanoindentation.•Innovative analysis of erosive wear by simulating sandstorms in the lab.•Zr-oxide doping and annealing synergistically improved erosion resistance.