2D back-side diffraction grating for improved light trapping in thin silicon solar cells

Opt Express. 2010 Mar 15;18(6):5481-95. doi: 10.1364/OE.18.005481.

Abstract

Light-trapping techniques can be used to improve the efficiency of thin silicon solar cells. We report on numerical investigation of a light trapping design consisting of a 2D back-side diffraction grating in combination with an aluminum mirror and a spacing layer of low permittivity to minimize parasitic absorption in the aluminum. The light-trapping design was compared to a planar reference design with antireflection coating and back-side aluminum mirror. Both normally and obliquely incident light was investigated. For normal incidence, the light trapping structure increases the short circuit current density with 17% from 30.4 mA/cm(2) to 35.5 mA/cm(2) for a 20 microm thick silicon solar cell. Our design also increases the current density in thinner cells, and yields higher current density than two recently published designs for cell thickness of 2 and 5 microm, respectively. The increase in current may be attributed to two factors; increased path length due to in-coupling of light, and decreased parasitic absorption in the aluminum due to the spacing layer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Light
  • Refractometry / instrumentation*
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Solar Energy*