UV–Visible spectral conversion of silver ion-exchanged aluminosilicate glasses

Abstract Silver ion-exchanged was employed to introduce silver into the surface layer of aluminosilicate glasses. Effects of salt composition and annealing conditions on the distribution, valence and clustering states of silver were investigated through emission and excitation spectra measurement. It was found that isolated Ag + ions, clusters of Ag 2 + and Ag 2 2 + , and other mixed species of Ag + ions and Ag 0 atoms were present in the ion-exchanged glasses. Upon UV excitation (250–400 nm), silver ion-exchanged glasses showed three distinct bands centers at 420 nm, 480 nm and 530 nm, exhibiting great potential for the UV light down-shifting. Using the silver ion-exchanged glass as cover, quantum efficiency of α-Si solar cell in the 280–318 nm spectral range was improved.