An engineered enhancement in short-circuit current density and energy conversion efficiency in amorphous silicon p-in solar cells is achieved via improved transmission of electromagnetic radiation arising from forward scattering by surface plasmon polariton modes in Au nanoparticles deposited above the amorphous silicon film. For a Au nanoparticle density of ϳ3.7ϫ 10 8 cm −2 , an 8.1% increase in short-circuit current density and an 8.3% increase in energy conversion efficiency are observed. Finite-element electromagnetic simulations confirm the expected increase in transmission of electromagnetic radiation at visible wavelengths, and suggest that substantially larger improvements should be attainable for higher nanoparticle densities.

Experimental characterization and finite-element numerical simulations of the electromagnetic interaction between Au nanoparticles positioned atop a Si pn junction photodiode and incident electromagnetic plane waves have been performed as a function of wavelength. The presence of the Au nanoparticles is found to lead to increased electromagnetic field amplitude within the semiconductor, and consequently increased photocurrent response, over a broad range of wavelengths extending upward from the nanoparticle surface plasmon polariton resonance wavelength. At shorter wavelengths, a reduction in electromagnetic field amplitude and a corresponding decrease in photocurrent response in the semiconductor are observed. Numerical simulations reveal that these different behaviors are a consequence of a shift in the phase of the nanoparticle polarizability near the surface plasmon polariton wavelength, leading to interference effects within the semiconductor that vary strongly with wavelength. These observations have substantial implications for the optimization of device structures in which surface plasmon polariton resonances in metallic nanoparticles are exploited to engineer the performance of semiconductor photodetectors and related devices.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract