Mismatched front and back gratings for optimum light trapping in ultra-thin crystalline silicon solar cells

The implementation of a front and back grating in ultra-thin photovoltaic cells is a promising approach towards improving light trapping. A simple design rule was developed here using the least common multiple (LCM) of the front and back grating periods. From this design rule, several optimal period...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inOptics communications Vol. 377
Main Authors Hsu, Wei-Chun, Tong, Jonathan K., Branham, Matthew S., Huang, Yi, Yerci, Selçuk, Boriskina, Svetlana V., Chen, Gang
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Elsevier 20.05.2016
Subjects
crystalline silicon
double grating
light trapping
solar cell
SOLAR ENERGY
thin absorber
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Summary:The implementation of a front and back grating in ultra-thin photovoltaic cells is a promising approach towards improving light trapping. A simple design rule was developed here using the least common multiple (LCM) of the front and back grating periods. From this design rule, several optimal period combinations can be found, providing greater design flexibility for absorbers of indirect band gap materials. Using numerical simulations, the photo-generated current (Jph) for a 10-μm-thick crystalline silicon absorber was predicted to be as high as 38 mA/cm2, which is 11.74% higher than that of a single front grating (Jph=34 mA/cm2).
Bibliography:USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
SC0001299; FG02-09ER46577; EE0005320
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
ISSN:0030-4018
1873-0310