Plasmonic fractals: ultrabroadband light trapping in thin film solar cells by a Sierpinski nanocarpet

Plasmonic Sierpinski nanocarpet as back structure for a thin film Si solar cell is investigated. We demonstrate that ultra-broadband light trapping can be obtained by placing square metallic nanoridges with Sierpinski pattern on the back contact of the thin film solar cell. The multiple-scale plasmo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inOptical and quantum electronics Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 751 - 757
Main Authors Kazerooni, Hanif, Khavasi, Amin
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Boston Springer US 01.06.2014
Subjects
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Computer Communication Networks
Electrical Engineering
Lasers
Optical Devices
Optics
Photonics
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Light trapping
Fractals
Plasmonics
Thin film photovoltaic
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Summary:Plasmonic Sierpinski nanocarpet as back structure for a thin film Si solar cell is investigated. We demonstrate that ultra-broadband light trapping can be obtained by placing square metallic nanoridges with Sierpinski pattern on the back contact of the thin film solar cell. The multiple-scale plasmonic fractal structure allows excitation of localized surface plasmons and surface plasmon polaritons in multiple wavelengths leading to obvious absorption enhancements in a wide frequency range. Full wave simulations show that 109 % increase of the short-circuit current density for a 200 nm thick solar cell, is achievable by the proposed fractal back structure. The amount of light absorbed in the active region of this cell is more than that of a flat cell with semiconductor thickness of 1,000 nm.
ISSN:0306-8919
1572-817X
DOI:10.1007/s11082-013-9783-0