Simulations of solar cell absorption enhancement using resonant modes of a nanosphere array

Jonathan Grandidier; Michael G. Deceglie; Dennis M. Callahan Jr.; Harry A. Atwater Jr.

doi:10.1117/1.JPE.2.024502

16 May 2012 Simulations of solar cell absorption enhancement using resonant modes of a nanosphere array

Jonathan Grandidier, Michael G. Deceglie, Dennis M. Callahan Jr., Harry A. Atwater Jr.

Author Affiliations +

Journal of Photonics for Energy, Vol. 2, Issue 1, 024502 (May 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JPE.2.024502

Abstract

We propose an approach for enhancing the absorption of thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells using periodic arrangements of resonant dielectric nanospheres deposited as a continuous film on top of a thin planar cell. We numerically demonstrate this enhancement using three dimensional (3D) full field, finite difference time domain simulations and 3D finite element device physics simulations of a nanosphere array above a thin-film amorphous silicon solar cell structure featuring back reflector and anti-reflection coating. In addition, we use the full field finite difference time domain results as input to finite element device physics simulations to demonstrate that the enhanced absorption contributes to the current extracted from the device. We study the influence of a multi-sized array of spheres, compare spheres and domes, and propose an analytical model based on the temporal coupled mode theory.

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Jonathan Grandidier, Michael G. Deceglie, Dennis M. Callahan Jr., and Harry A. Atwater Jr. "Simulations of solar cell absorption enhancement using resonant modes of a nanosphere array," Journal of Photonics for Energy 2(1), 024502 (16 May 2012). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JPE.2.024502

Published: 16 May 2012

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