Efficient light-trapping nanostructures in thin silicon solar cells
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Chen_Efficient light.pdf
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4.77 MB
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Author(s)
Han, Sang Eon
Mavrokefalos, Anastassios
Branham, Matthew Sanders
Chen, Gang
Date Issued
May 2011
Journal
Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering
Publisher
Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers
Citation
Han, Sang Eon et al. “Efficient Light-trapping Nanostructures in Thin Silicon Solar Cells.” Proc. SPIE 8031, Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications III, (May 13, 2011) Ed. Thomas George, M. Saif Islam, & Achyut K. Dutta. 2011. 80310T–80310T–9. CrossRef. Web.© (2011) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
We examine light-trapping in thin crystalline silicon periodic nanostructures for solar cell applications. Using group theory, we show that light-trapping can be improved over a broad band when structural mirror symmetry is broken. This finding allows us to obtain surface nanostructures with an absorptance exceeding the Lambertian limit over a broad band at normal incidence. Further, we demonstrate that the absorptance of nanorod arrays with symmetry breaking not only exceeds the Lambertian limit over a range of spectrum but also closely follows the limit over the entire spectrum of interest for isotropic incident radiation. These effects correspond to a reduction in silicon mass by two orders of magnitude, pointing to the promising future of thin crystalline silicon solar cells.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.881047
