Enhanced Omnidirectional Optical Absorption in a Nanopatterned Silicon Thin Film for Photovoltaic Applications
| Periodical | Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 512 - 515) |
|---|---|
| Main Theme | Renewable and Sustainable Energy II |
| Edited by | Nanqi Ren, Lam Kin Che, Bo Jin, Renjie Dong and Haiquan Su |
| Pages | 234-237 |
| DOI | 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.512-515.234 |
| Citation | Hai Lu et al., 2012, Advanced Materials Research, 512-515, 234 |
| Online since | May, 2012 |
| Authors | Hai Lu, Chun Hua Xue, Hong Chen |
| Keywords | Nanostructure, Light Trapping, Silicon, Thin Film Photovoltaic Cell |
| Price | US$ 28,- |
We show that the optical absorption in thin-film photovoltaic cells can be enhanced by texturing the silicon absorbing layer into nanostructured array. The optical absorption of the proposed configuration is enhanced by 70% compared to a nonpatterned silicon thin film of the same thickness. Furthermore, the proposed silicon thin film PV cell has a good angle-independent response of up to 60°. The omnidirectional absorbance enhancement of the nanopatterned silicon thin film is attributed to its unusual light trapping mechanism and omnidirectional bandgap.