Premium
Encapsulation of Nanostructures in a Dielectric Matrix Providing Optical Enhancement in Ultrathin Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Oliveira António J. N.,
de Wild Jessica,
Oliveira Kevin,
Valença Beatriz A.,
Teixeira Jennifer P.,
Guerreiro Joana R. L.,
Abalde-Cela Sara,
Lopes Tomás S.,
Ribeiro Rodrigo M.,
Cunha José M. V.,
Curado Marco A.,
Monteiro Margarida,
Violas André,
Silva Ana Gomes,
Prado Marta,
Fernandes Paulo A.,
Vermang Bart,
Salomé Pedro M. P.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
solar rrl
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.544
H-Index - 37
ISSN - 2367-198X
DOI - 10.1002/solr.202000310
Subject(s) - materials science , nanostructure , optoelectronics , solar cell , dielectric , nanotechnology , nanoparticle , layer (electronics)
The incorporation of nanostructures in optoelectronic devices for enhancing their optical performance is widely studied. However, several problems related to the processing complexity and the low performance of the nanostructures have hindered such actions in real‐life devices. Herein, a novel way of introducing gold nanoparticles in a solar cell structure is proposed in which the nanostructures are encapsulated with a dielectric layer, shielding them from high temperatures and harsh growth processing conditions of the remaining device. Through optical simulations, an enhancement of the effective optical path length of approximately four times the nominal thickness of the absorber layer is verified with the new architecture. Furthermore, the proposed concept in a Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cell device is demonstrated, where the short‐circuit current density is increased by 17.4%. The novel structure presented in this work is achieved by combining a bottom‐up chemical approach of depositing the nanostructures with a top‐down photolithographic process, which allows for an electrical contact.