Resonant enhancement of dielectric and metal nanoparticle arrays for light trapping in solar cells

We numerically investigate the light trapping properties of two-dimensional diffraction gratings formed from silver disks or titanium dioxide pillars, placed on the rear of Si thin-film solar cells. In contrast to previous studies of front-surface gratings, we find that metal particles out-perform d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics express 2012-06, Vol.20 (12), p.13226-13237
Main Authors: Wang, E, White, T P, Catchpole, K R
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We numerically investigate the light trapping properties of two-dimensional diffraction gratings formed from silver disks or titanium dioxide pillars, placed on the rear of Si thin-film solar cells. In contrast to previous studies of front-surface gratings, we find that metal particles out-perform dielelectric ones when placed on the rear of the cell. By optimizing the grating geometry and the position of a planar reflector, we predict short circuit current enhancements of 45% and 67% respectively for the TiO₂ and silver nanoparticles. Furthermore, we show that interference effects between the grating and reflector can significantly enhance, or suppress, the light trapping performance. This demonstrates the critical importance of optimizing the reflector as an integral part of the light trapping structure.
ISSN:1094-4087
1094-4087
DOI:10.1364/OE.20.013226