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Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells With Silver Nanoparticles Embedded Inside the Absorber Layer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Rudi Santbergen ,
Renrong Liang  and
Miro Zeman
Rudi Santbergen
Affiliation:
r.santbergen@tudelft.nl, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
Renrong Liang
Affiliation:
liangrr@gmail.com, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
Miro Zeman
Affiliation:
m.zeman@tudelft.nl, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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Abstract

A novel light trapping technique for solar cells is based on light scattering by metal nanoparticles through excitation of localized surface plasmons. We investigated the effect of metal nanoparticles embedded inside the absorber layer of amorphous silicon solar cells on the cell performance. The position of the particles inside the absorber layer was varied. Transmission electron microscopy images of the cell devices showed well defined silver nanoparticles, indicating that they survive the embedding procedure. The optical absorption of samples where the silver nanoparticles were embedded in thin amorphous silicon layer showed an enhancement peak around the plasmon resonance of 800 nm. The embedded particles significantly reduce the performance of the fabricated devices. We attribute this to the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers in the absorber layer induced by the presence of the silver nanoparticles. Finally we demonstrate that the fabricated solar cells exhibit tandem-like behavior where the silver nanoparticles separate the absorber layer into a top and bottom part.

Keywords

photovoltaicAgnanostructure
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1245: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology-2010 , 2010 , 1245-A07-20
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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References

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