Photonic nanostructures for advanced light trapping in thin crystalline silicon solar cells
Journal article, 2015
We report on the fabrication, integration, and simulation, both optical and optoelectrical, of two-dimensional photonic nanostructures for advanced light trapping in thin crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. The photonic nanostructures are fabricated by the combination of various lithography (nanoimprint, laser interference, and hole mask colloidal) and etching (dry plasma and wet chemical) techniques. The nanopatterning possibilities thus range from periodic to random corrugations and from inverted nanopyramids to high aspect ratio profiles. Optically, the nanopatterning results in better performance than the standard pyramid texturing, showing a more robust behavior with respect to light incidence angle. Electrically, wet etching results in higher minority carrier lifetimes compared to dry etching. From the integration of the photonic nanostructures into a micron-thin c-Si solar cell certain factors limiting the efficiencies are identified. More precisely: (a) the parasitic absorption is limiting the short circuit current, (b) the conformality of thin-film coatings on the nanopatterned surface is limiting the fill factor, and (c) the material damage from dry etching is limiting the open circuit voltage. From optical simulations, the optimal pattern parameters are identified. From optoelectrical simulations, cell design considerations are discussed, suggesting to position the junction on the opposite side of the nanopattern.
solar cells
light trapping
photonic crystals
silicon
photonic nanostructures
thin films
Author
C. Trompoukis
KU Leuven
I. Abdo
R. Cariou
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces
I. Cosme
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces
W. H. Chen
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces
O. Deparis
University of Namur
Alexander Dmitriev
Chalmers, Applied Physics, Bionanophotonics
E. Drouard
Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon
M. Foldyna
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces
E. Garcia-Caurel
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces
I. Gordon
B. Heidari
Obducat Technologies Ab
A. Herman
University of Namur
L. Lalouat
Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon
K. Lee
Obducat Technologies Ab
Johan Liu
Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon
Kristof Lodewijks
Chalmers, Applied Physics, Bionanophotonics
F. Mandorlo
Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon
Ines Massiot
Chalmers, Applied Physics, Bionanophotonics
A. Mayer
University of Namur
Vladimir Miljkovic
Chalmers, Applied Physics, Bionanophotonics
J. Muller
University of Namur
R. Orobtchouk
Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon
G. Poulain
Total S.A.
P. Prod'Homme
Total S.A.
P. R. I. Cabarrocas
C. Seassal
Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon
J. Poortmans
KU Leuven
R. Mertens
O. El Daif
V. Depauw
Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications and Materials Science
1862-6300 (ISSN) 1862-6319 (eISSN)
Vol. 212 1 140-155Nanophotonics for ultra-thin crystalline silicon photovoltaics (PHOTONVOLTAICS)
European Commission (EC) (EC/FP7/309127), 2012-11-01 -- 2015-10-31.
Subject Categories
Nano Technology
DOI
10.1002/pssa.201431180