Broadband antireflection and absorption enhancement of ultrathin silicon solar microcells enabled with density-graded surface nanostructures

Chan, Lesley; Kang, Dongseok; Lee, Sung-Min; Li, Weigu; Hunter, Hajirah; Yoon, Jongseung

doi:10.1063/1.4881260

Broadband antireflection and absorption enhancement of ultrathin silicon solar microcells enabled with density-graded surface nanostructures

Journal Article · Tue Jun 03 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4881260· OSTI ID:1369862

Chan, Lesley ^[1]; Kang, Dongseok ^[1]; Lee, Sung-Min ^[1]; Li, Weigu ^[1]; Hunter, Hajirah ^[1]; Yoon, Jongseung ^[1]

Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

Density-graded surface nanostructures are implemented on ultrathin silicon solar microcells by silver-nanoparticle-catalyzed wet chemical etching to enable near-zero surface reflection over a broad wavelength range of incident solar spectrum as well as non-zeroth order diffraction and light trapping for longer wavelength photons, thereby achieving augmented photon absorption for ultrathin silicon microcells in a simple, cost-effective manner. The increase of absorbed photon flux through the “black silicon (b-Si)” surface translates directly into the corresponding enhancement of photovoltaic performance, where 5.7-μm b-Si microcells with the rational design of device configuration exhibit improved energy conversion efficiency by 148% and 50% with and without a diffuse backside reflector, respectively, compared to devices from the bare silicon without b-Si implementation. Systematic studies on nanostructured morphology, optical and electrical properties of b-Si microcells, together with semi-empirical numerical modeling of photon absorption, provide key aspects of underlying materials science and physics.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Energy Nanoscience (CEN)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0001013

OSTI ID:: 1369862

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 22300109

Journal Information:: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 104; ISSN 0003-6951

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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