Light trapping properties of metallic gratings on wafer-based silicon solar cells

Optical properties of arrays of silver nanowires, fabricated on the front surface of flat wafer-based Si solar cells, have been investigated for light trapping purposes. Numerical EM field simulations have been performed to optimize the grating layout with the aim to maximize photogeneration in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nano energy 2013-05, Vol.2 (3), p.337-342
Main Authors: Sammito, Davide, Zilio, Pierfrancesco, Zacco, Gabriele, Janusonis, Julius, Romanato, Filippo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties
Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation
Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering
Electrical power engineering
Energy
Equipments, installations and applications
Exact sciences and technology
Gratings
Light trapping
Natural energy
Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation
Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures
Photoelectric conversion
Photovoltaic conversion
Photovoltaics
Physics
Plasmonics
Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells
Solar energy
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Summary:Optical properties of arrays of silver nanowires, fabricated on the front surface of flat wafer-based Si solar cells, have been investigated for light trapping purposes. Numerical EM field simulations have been performed to optimize the grating layout with the aim to maximize photogeneration in the device. External Quantum Efficiency and front surface reflectance spectra have been measured and compared to simulations. The designed nanostructures result to be not able to provide a global efficiency enhancement due to higher incoupling losses compared to reference cells. Nevertheless the gratings improve the Internal Quantum Efficiency over a wide spectral range in the NIR due to the redistribution of the absorption profile in areas of the device characterized by high carriers collection probability. [Display omitted] ► Ag nanowires gratings have been designed and fabricated on flat Si solar cells. ► Quantum efficiency and reflectance spectra have been simulated and measured. ► A global efficiency enhancement is not achievable due to high incoupling losses. ► Internal Quantum Efficiency improves in the NIR due to effective light trapping.
ISSN:2211-2855
DOI:10.1016/j.nanoen.2012.10.008