Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells
Thick wafer-silicon is the dominant solar cell technology. It is of great interest to develop ultra-thin solar cells that can reduce materials usage, but still achieve acceptable performance and high solar absorption. Accordingly, we developed a highly absorbing ultra-thin crystalline Si based solar...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/7/1/17 |
| _version_ | 1811280140470059008 |
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| author | Prathap Pathi Akshit Peer Rana Biswas |
| author_facet | Prathap Pathi Akshit Peer Rana Biswas |
| author_sort | Prathap Pathi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thick wafer-silicon is the dominant solar cell technology. It is of great interest to develop ultra-thin solar cells that can reduce materials usage, but still achieve acceptable performance and high solar absorption. Accordingly, we developed a highly absorbing ultra-thin crystalline Si based solar cell architecture using periodically patterned front and rear dielectric nanocone arrays which provide enhanced light trapping. The rear nanocones are embedded in a silver back reflector. In contrast to previous approaches, we utilize dielectric photonic crystals with a completely flat silicon absorber layer, providing expected high electronic quality and low carrier recombination. This architecture creates a dense mesh of wave-guided modes at near-infrared wavelengths in the absorber layer, generating enhanced absorption. For thin silicon (<2 μm) and 750 nm pitch arrays, scattering matrix simulations predict enhancements exceeding 90%. Absorption approaches the Lambertian limit at small thicknesses (<10 μm) and is slightly lower (by ~5%) at wafer-scale thicknesses. Parasitic losses are ~25% for ultra-thin (2 μm) silicon and just 1%–2% for thicker (>100 μm) cells. There is potential for 20 μm thick cells to provide 30 mA/cm2 photo-current and >20% efficiency. This architecture has great promise for ultra-thin silicon solar panels with reduced material utilization and enhanced light-trapping. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:08:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d65fdbf40a6d4e189424772b140d7c8e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:08:09Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-d65fdbf40a6d4e189424772b140d7c8e2022-12-22T03:09:16ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912017-01-01711710.3390/nano7010017nano7010017Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar CellsPrathap Pathi0Akshit Peer1Rana Biswas2Ames Laboratory, Microelectronics Research Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USAAmes Laboratory, Microelectronics Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USAAmes Laboratory, Microelectronics Research Center, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USAThick wafer-silicon is the dominant solar cell technology. It is of great interest to develop ultra-thin solar cells that can reduce materials usage, but still achieve acceptable performance and high solar absorption. Accordingly, we developed a highly absorbing ultra-thin crystalline Si based solar cell architecture using periodically patterned front and rear dielectric nanocone arrays which provide enhanced light trapping. The rear nanocones are embedded in a silver back reflector. In contrast to previous approaches, we utilize dielectric photonic crystals with a completely flat silicon absorber layer, providing expected high electronic quality and low carrier recombination. This architecture creates a dense mesh of wave-guided modes at near-infrared wavelengths in the absorber layer, generating enhanced absorption. For thin silicon (<2 μm) and 750 nm pitch arrays, scattering matrix simulations predict enhancements exceeding 90%. Absorption approaches the Lambertian limit at small thicknesses (<10 μm) and is slightly lower (by ~5%) at wafer-scale thicknesses. Parasitic losses are ~25% for ultra-thin (2 μm) silicon and just 1%–2% for thicker (>100 μm) cells. There is potential for 20 μm thick cells to provide 30 mA/cm2 photo-current and >20% efficiency. This architecture has great promise for ultra-thin silicon solar panels with reduced material utilization and enhanced light-trapping.http://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/7/1/17nano-photonicssolar celllight-trappingscattering |
| spellingShingle | Prathap Pathi Akshit Peer Rana Biswas Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells Nanomaterials nano-photonics solar cell light-trapping scattering |
| title | Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells |
| title_full | Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells |
| title_fullStr | Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells |
| title_short | Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells |
| title_sort | nano photonic structures for light trapping in ultra thin crystalline silicon solar cells |
| topic | nano-photonics solar cell light-trapping scattering |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/7/1/17 |
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