Ultrathin tandem-plasmonic photovoltaic structures for synergistically enhanced light absorption. Issue 60 (8th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Poursafar, Jafar; Kolahdouz, Mohammadreza; Asl-Soleimani, Ebrahim; Golmohammadi, Saeed
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 6:Issue 60(2016)
• Page Start: 55354
• Page End: 55359
• Publication Date: 2016-06-08
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ra06586d
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : We have proposed and simulated a tandem ultra-thin silicon solar cell, in which each layer is integrated with metal nanostructures, using the FDTD method. Abstract : Recently, plasmonic nanostructures have been playing a key role in enhancing the optical absorption in thin film solar cells, which are poor absorbers due to their decreased optical travelling path length. Here, we have proposed and simulated a tandem ultra-thin silicon solar cell, in which each layer is integrated with metal nanostructures, using the FDTD method. The Si layers are disconnected via a SiO2 layer with embedded Ag strips. The surface of the top Si layer and the underside of the bottom Si layer are connected to each other using contacts from a Ag periodic array nanostructure. The simulation results have demonstrated that the proposed structure has a synergistic effect on light absorption and gives rise to a 172% light absorption enhancement and 139% short-circuit current density enhancement over the whole usable solar spectrum, compared with the one layer bared structure.