title: Surface plasmon effects in the absorption enhancements of amorphous silicon solar cells with periodical metal nanowall and nanopillar structures.
abstract: The authors numerically investigate the absorption enhancement of an amorphous Si solar cell, in which a periodical one-dimensional nanowall or two-dimensional nanopillar structure of the Ag back-reflector is fabricated such that a dome-shaped grating geometry is formed after Si deposition and indium-tin-oxide coating. In this investigation, the effects of surface plasmon (SP) interaction in such a metal nanostructure are of major concern. Absorption enhancement in most of the solar spectral range of significant amorphous Si absorption (320-800 nm) is observed in a grating solar cell. In the short-wavelength range of high amorphous Si absorption, the weakly wavelength-dependent absorption enhancement is mainly caused by the broadband anti-reflection effect, which is produced through the surface nano-grating structures. In the long-wavelength range of diminishing amorphous Si absorption, the highly wavelength-sensitive absorption enhancement is mainly caused by Fabry-Perot resonance and SP interaction. The SP interaction includes the contributions of surface plasmon polariton and localized surface plasmon.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Roosevelt Road, Section 4, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Cheng-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yean-Woei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kiang
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012993:Solar Energy; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*