Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T02:28:36.375Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Absorption Enhancement in Plasmonic Solar Cells by Incorporation of Periodic Nanopatterns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2011

W. Wang ,
S. Wu ,
Y.L. Lu ,
Kitt Reinhardt  and
S.C. Chen
W. Wang
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
S. Wu
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
Y.L. Lu
Affiliation:
Laser Optics Research Center, Physics Department, United States Air Force Academy, CO 80840, USA
Kitt Reinhardt
Affiliation:
United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research, AFOSR/NE, 875 North Randolph Street, Suite 326, Arlington, VA 22203, USA
S.C. Chen
Affiliation:
NanoEngineering Department, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
Get access

Abstract

Currently, the performances of thin film solar cells are limited by poor light absorption and carrier collection. In this research, large, broadband, and polarization-insensitive light absorption enhancement was realized via incorporation of different periodic nanopetterns. By studying the enhancement effect brought by different materials, dimensions, coverage, and dielectric environments of the metal nanopatterns, we analyzed the absorption enhancement mechanisms as well as optimization criteria for our designs. A test for totaling the absorption over the solar spectrum shows an up to ∼30% broadband absorption enhancement when comparing to conventional thin film cells.

Keywords

photovoltaicsimulationabsorption
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1322: Symposium B – Third-Generation and Emerging Solar-Cell Technologies , 2011 , mrss11-1322-b06-02
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1] Shah, A. V., et al. , “Thin-film silicon solar cell technology,” Progress in Photovoltaics, vol. 12, pp. 113–142, Mar-May 2004.Google Scholar
[2] Green, M. A., “Lambertian light trapping in textured solar cells and light-emitting diodes: analytical solutions,” Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, vol. 10, pp. 235–241, 2002.Google Scholar
[3] Barnes, W. L., et al. , “Surface plasmon subwavelength optics,” Nature, vol. 424, pp. 824–830, Aug 2003.Google Scholar
[4] Rockstuhl, C., et al. , “Absorption enhancement in solar cells by localized plasmon polaritons,” Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 104, Dec 2008.Google Scholar
[5] Hallermann, F., et al. , “On the use of localized plasmon polaritons in solar cells,” Physica Status Solidi a-Applications and Materials Science, vol. 205, pp. 2844–2861, 12 2008.Google Scholar
[6] Pala, R. A., et al. , “Design of Plasmonic Thin-Film Solar Cells with Broadband Absorption Enhancements,” Advanced Materials, vol. 21, pp. 1–6, 2009.Google Scholar
[7] Schaadt, D. M., et al. , “Enhanced semiconductor optical absorption via surface plasmon excitation in metal nanoparticles,” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 86, Feb 2005.Google Scholar
[8] Panoiu, N. C. and Osgood, R. M., “Enhanced optical absorption for photovoltaics via excitation of waveguide and plasmon-polariton modes,” Optics Letters, vol. 32, pp. 2825–2827, 10 2007.Google Scholar
[9] Pillai, S., et al. , “Surface plasmon enhanced silicon solar cells,”Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 101, 05 2007.Google Scholar
[10] Stenzel, O., et al. , “ENHANCEMENT OF THE PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION EFFICIENCY OF COPPER PHTHALOCYANINE THIN-FILM DEVICES BY INCORPORATION OF METAL-CLUSTERS,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 37, pp. 337–348, 07 1995.Google Scholar
[11] Westphalen, M., et al. , “Metal cluster enhanced organic solar cells,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol.61, pp. 97–105, 02 2000.Google Scholar
[12] Derkacs, D., et al. , “Improved performance of amorphous silicon solar cells via scattering from surface plasmon polaritons in nearby metallic nanoparticles,” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 89, 08 2006.Google Scholar
[13] Ferry, V. E., et al. , “Plasmonic Nanostructure Design for Efficient Light Coupling into Solar Cells,” Nano Letters, vol. 8, pp. 4391–4397, 12 2008.Google Scholar
[14] Wang, W., et al. , “Broadband Light Absorption Enhancement in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells,” Nano Letters, vol. 10, pp. 2012–2018, 06 2010.Google Scholar
[15] Palik, E. D., Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids: Academic, 1985.Google Scholar
[16] Mergel, D. and Qiao, Z., “Dielectric modelling of optical spectra of thin In2O3: Sn films,” Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics, vol. 35, pp. 794–801, 2002.Google Scholar
[17] COMSOL 3.3 Reference Manual , 2005.Google Scholar
[18] Lavrinenko, A., et al. , “Comprehensive FDTD modelling of photonic crystal waveguide components,” Optics Express, vol. 12, pp. 234–248, 01 2004.Google Scholar
[19] Bohren, C. F. and Huffman, D. R., Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles. New York: Wiley-Interscience, 1983.Google Scholar
[20] Akimov, Y. A. and Koh, W. S., “Resonant and nonresonant plasmonic nanoparticle enhancement for thin-film silicon solar cells,” Nanotechnology, vol. 21, 2010.Google Scholar
[21] Maier, S. A., Plasmonics: Fundamentals and Applications, 1st. ed.: Springer, 2007.Google Scholar
[22] Jackson, J. D., Classical Electrodynamics, 3rd ed.: Wiley, 1998.Google Scholar