Optical simulations and prototyping of microcrystalline silicon solar cells with integrated plasmonic reflection grating back contacts

U. W. Paetzold; E. Moulin; B. E. Pieters; U. Rau; R. Carius

doi:10.1117/12.893749

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20 September 2011 Optical simulations and prototyping of microcrystalline silicon solar cells with integrated plasmonic reflection grating back contacts

U. W. Paetzold, E. Moulin, B. E. Pieters, U. Rau, R. Carius

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Proceedings Volume 8111, Next Generation (Nano) Photonic and Cell Technologies for Solar Energy Conversion II; 811107 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.893749
Event: SPIE Solar Energy + Technology, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Light-trapping is a key issue for high efficiency thin-film silicon solar cells. In this work, the interaction of incident light with microcrystalline silicon solar cells applying a plasmonic reflection grating back contact is studied with threedimensional electromagnetic simulations and via the measured spectral response of prototypes. The investigated plasmonic reflection grating back contact consists of half-ellipsoidal silver nanostructures arranged in square lattice at the back contact of a n-i-p substrate type microcrystalline silicon solar cell. Experimental results of prototypes of these solar cells show significantly enhanced short circuit current densities in comparison to flat cells and even a small enhancement of the short circuit current density in comparison to the conventional random texture light-trapping concept of thin-film silicon solar cell. A very good agreement was found for the simulated and measured spectral response of the solar cell. From the simulated three-dimensional electromagnetic field distributions detailed absorption profiles were calculated allowing a spatially resolved evaluation of parasitic losses inside the n-i-p type microcrystalline silicon solar cell.

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U. W. Paetzold, E. Moulin, B. E. Pieters, U. Rau, and R. Carius "Optical simulations and prototyping of microcrystalline silicon solar cells with integrated plasmonic reflection grating back contacts", Proc. SPIE 8111, Next Generation (Nano) Photonic and Cell Technologies for Solar Energy Conversion II, 811107 (20 September 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.893749

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