Beneficial roles of Al back reflectors in optical absorption of Si nanowire array solar cells

Eunsongyi Lee; Keya Zhou; Minji Gwon; Jin Young Jung; Jung Ho Lee; Dong Wook Kim

doi:10.1063/1.4820525

Beneficial roles of Al back reflectors in optical absorption of Si nanowire array solar cells

Eunsongyi Lee, Keya Zhou, Minji Gwon, Jin Young Jung, Jung Ho Lee, Dong Wook Kim

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigate the influence of Al back reflectors on the optical absorption spectra of Si nanowire (NW) arrays by using the finite-difference time-domain simulation method. A flat Al layer enhances the absorption in the NW array due to not only the reflection-induced optical path length enlargement but also reflection of light between NWs and localized surface plasmon induced optical field confinement. An Al underlayer with a grating structure allows grating-coupled surface plasmon polariton excitation and raise the optical absorption in the Si NWs. Interplay among all these factors on the optical absorption and expected solar cell performance of the NW arrays is discussed.

Original language	English
Article number	093516
Journal	Journal of Applied Physics
Volume	114
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4820525
State	Published - 7 Sep 2013

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Pioneer Research Center Program (2010-0002231) and the Quantum Metamaterials Research Center (2008-0061893) through the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant. This work was also supported by the New & Renewable Energy Technology Development Program of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) Grant (20123010010160).

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title = "Beneficial roles of Al back reflectors in optical absorption of Si nanowire array solar cells",

abstract = "We investigate the influence of Al back reflectors on the optical absorption spectra of Si nanowire (NW) arrays by using the finite-difference time-domain simulation method. A flat Al layer enhances the absorption in the NW array due to not only the reflection-induced optical path length enlargement but also reflection of light between NWs and localized surface plasmon induced optical field confinement. An Al underlayer with a grating structure allows grating-coupled surface plasmon polariton excitation and raise the optical absorption in the Si NWs. Interplay among all these factors on the optical absorption and expected solar cell performance of the NW arrays is discussed.",

author = "Eunsongyi Lee and Keya Zhou and Minji Gwon and Jung, {Jin Young} and Lee, {Jung Ho} and Kim, {Dong Wook}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Pioneer Research Center Program (2010-0002231) and the Quantum Metamaterials Research Center (2008-0061893) through the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant. This work was also supported by the New & Renewable Energy Technology Development Program of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) Grant (20123010010160).",

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doi = "10.1063/1.4820525",

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AU - Lee, Eunsongyi

AU - Zhou, Keya

AU - Gwon, Minji

AU - Jung, Jin Young

AU - Lee, Jung Ho

AU - Kim, Dong Wook

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Pioneer Research Center Program (2010-0002231) and the Quantum Metamaterials Research Center (2008-0061893) through the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant. This work was also supported by the New & Renewable Energy Technology Development Program of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) Grant (20123010010160).

PY - 2013/9/7

Y1 - 2013/9/7

N2 - We investigate the influence of Al back reflectors on the optical absorption spectra of Si nanowire (NW) arrays by using the finite-difference time-domain simulation method. A flat Al layer enhances the absorption in the NW array due to not only the reflection-induced optical path length enlargement but also reflection of light between NWs and localized surface plasmon induced optical field confinement. An Al underlayer with a grating structure allows grating-coupled surface plasmon polariton excitation and raise the optical absorption in the Si NWs. Interplay among all these factors on the optical absorption and expected solar cell performance of the NW arrays is discussed.

AB - We investigate the influence of Al back reflectors on the optical absorption spectra of Si nanowire (NW) arrays by using the finite-difference time-domain simulation method. A flat Al layer enhances the absorption in the NW array due to not only the reflection-induced optical path length enlargement but also reflection of light between NWs and localized surface plasmon induced optical field confinement. An Al underlayer with a grating structure allows grating-coupled surface plasmon polariton excitation and raise the optical absorption in the Si NWs. Interplay among all these factors on the optical absorption and expected solar cell performance of the NW arrays is discussed.

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DO - 10.1063/1.4820525

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Beneficial roles of Al back reflectors in optical absorption of Si nanowire array solar cells

Abstract

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