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Title: Mismatched front and back gratings for optimum light trapping in ultra-thin crystalline silicon solar cells

Abstract

The implementation of a front and back grating in ultra-thin photovoltaic cells is a promising approach towards improving light trapping. A simple design rule was developed here using the least common multiple (LCM) of the front and back grating periods. From this design rule, several optimal period combinations can be found, providing greater design flexibility for absorbers of indirect band gap materials. Using numerical simulations, the photo-generated current (Jph) for a 10-μm-thick crystalline silicon absorber was predicted to be as high as 38 mA/cm2, which is 11.74% higher than that of a single front grating (Jph=34 mA/cm2).

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
  2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Middle East Technical Univ., Ankara (Turkey). Micro and Nanotechnology Programme. Electric and Electronics Engineering. Center for Solar Energy Research and Applications
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1388420
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1324327
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0001299; FG02-09ER46577; EE0005320
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Optics Communications
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 377; Journal ID: ISSN 0030-4018
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; light trapping; double grating; crystalline silicon; solar cell; thin absorber

Citation Formats

Hsu, Wei-Chun, Tong, Jonathan K., Branham, Matthew S., Huang, Yi, Yerci, Selçuk, Boriskina, Svetlana V., and Chen, Gang. Mismatched front and back gratings for optimum light trapping in ultra-thin crystalline silicon solar cells. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1016/j.optcom.2016.04.055.
Hsu, Wei-Chun, Tong, Jonathan K., Branham, Matthew S., Huang, Yi, Yerci, Selçuk, Boriskina, Svetlana V., & Chen, Gang. Mismatched front and back gratings for optimum light trapping in ultra-thin crystalline silicon solar cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optcom.2016.04.055
Hsu, Wei-Chun, Tong, Jonathan K., Branham, Matthew S., Huang, Yi, Yerci, Selçuk, Boriskina, Svetlana V., and Chen, Gang. Fri . "Mismatched front and back gratings for optimum light trapping in ultra-thin crystalline silicon solar cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optcom.2016.04.055. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1388420.
@article{osti_1388420,
title = {Mismatched front and back gratings for optimum light trapping in ultra-thin crystalline silicon solar cells},
author = {Hsu, Wei-Chun and Tong, Jonathan K. and Branham, Matthew S. and Huang, Yi and Yerci, Selçuk and Boriskina, Svetlana V. and Chen, Gang},
abstractNote = {The implementation of a front and back grating in ultra-thin photovoltaic cells is a promising approach towards improving light trapping. A simple design rule was developed here using the least common multiple (LCM) of the front and back grating periods. From this design rule, several optimal period combinations can be found, providing greater design flexibility for absorbers of indirect band gap materials. Using numerical simulations, the photo-generated current (Jph) for a 10-μm-thick crystalline silicon absorber was predicted to be as high as 38 mA/cm2, which is 11.74% higher than that of a single front grating (Jph=34 mA/cm2).},
doi = {10.1016/j.optcom.2016.04.055},
journal = {Optics Communications},
number = ,
volume = 377,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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Cited by: 22 works
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