Metallic inclusions in layered structures can have noticeable effects onto scattering and absorption due to the coupling of
the external electromagnetic field and local charge oscillations. These effects are strongly related to both the geometry of
the individual particle as well as to the array structure. Having in mind the efficiency improvement of silicon solar cells
due to plasmonic effects, we report on the modeling and the fabrication of periodic arrays of metallic nanoparticles on
planar substrates. Different characterization techniques as atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron
microscope (SEM) and optical measurements are applied which provide particular information with respect to the
fabricated structures, each. Special emphasis is placed on the clarification of the dominant features of the optical
characterization by detailed numerical analysis. This allows identifying significant modes of the planar geometry which
is complemented by the nanostructures, whose interplay with the radiation field does establish changes of the absorption
in the silicon layer, finally. These findings may be helpful for optimization and clarification of specific details of
technology, later on.
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