Experimental quantification of useful and parasitic absorption of light in plasmon-enhanced thin silicon films for solar cells application

0458934 - FZÚ 2017 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Morawiec, S. - Holovský, Jakub - Mendes, M.A. - Müller, Martin - Ganzerová, Kristína - Vetushka, Aliaksi - Ledinský, Martin - Priolo, F. - Fejfar, Antonín - Crupi, I.
Experimental quantification of useful and parasitic absorption of light in plasmon-enhanced thin silicon films for solar cells application.
Scientific Reports. Roč. 6, Mar (2016), 1-10, č. článku 22481. ISSN 2045-2322. E-ISSN 2045-2322
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT LM2015087; GA ČR GA14-15357S; GA ČR GA13-12386S
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : nanoparticles * nanophotonics and plasmonics * solar cells * solar energy and photovoltaic technology
Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism
Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016

Photocurrent and photothermal spectroscopy are used to quantify the useful and parasitic light absorption in hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) films with optimized metal nanoparticle arrays, located at the rear surface, for improved light trapping via resonant plasmonic scattering. The photothermal technique accounts for the total absorptance and the photocurrent signal accounts only for the photons absorbed in the μc-Si:H layer (useful absorptance). For a 0.9 μm thick absorber layer the optical losses related to the plasmonic light trapping are insignificant below 730 nm. An average useful absorption of 43% and an average parasitic absorption of 19% over 400–1100 nm wavelength range is measured for μc-Si:H films on self-assembled Ag nanoparticles coupled with a flat mirror (plasmonic back reflector). Enhancement of useful absorption resulted in the achievement of 91% of the maximum theoretical Lambertian limit.

Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0259143