Abstract
ABSTRACT This work investigates the influence of pulse frequency, precursor concentration, and linear substrate translation speed on the morphology, optical transparency, and wetting behaviour of coatings deposited by an atmospheric‐pressure radiofrequency (RF) plasma jet. Optimised conditions yield coatings that are highly transparent in the visible range while maintaining superhydrophobicity (water contact angle > 150°). The coatings exhibit high resistance to thermal treatment, UV irradiation, and organic solvents, as well as a pronounced self‐cleaning effect; however, the mechanical durability is currently limited under repeated tape peeling. In several cases, the relative optical transmittance exceeds 100% with respect to bare glass. This apparent enhancement is attributed to the anti‐reflective action of the nanostructured surface, consistent with reduced reflectance and angular redistribution of light, as supported by integrating‐sphere measurements of total transmittance and reflectance and by SCOUT thin‐film modeling. Photovoltaic validation on three independent silicon PV devices of different formats showed a consistent positive efficiency change, with an average relative gain of 3.58% across the tested devices. The atmospheric‐pressure RF plasma jet process is simple, environmentally benign, and compatible with roll‐to‐roll manufacturing, making it a promising route for large‐area transparent superhydrophobic and anti‐reflective coatings for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.