Light trapping in thin silicon solar cells: A review on fundamentals and technologies

Saive, Rebecca

doi:10.1002/pip.3440

Cited by 93 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 102 publications

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“… 1 , 5 , 6 3D nanophotonic architectures are necessary for reducing the cell thickness as conventional antireflection coatings and multilayers can only prevent light reflection via impedance matching of the solar cell and air, but do not extend the light paths in the Si cell that are required for efficient photon absorption. 7 , 8 …”

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confidence: 99%

Over 65% Sunlight Absorption in a 1 μm Si Slab with Hyperuniform Texture

et al. 2022

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Thin, flexible, and invisible solar cells will be a ubiquitous technology in the near future. Ultrathin crystalline silicon (c-Si) cells capitalize on the success of bulk silicon cells while being lightweight and mechanically flexible, but suffer from poor absorption and efficiency. Here we present a new family of surface texturing, based on correlated disordered hyperuniform patterns, capable of efficiently coupling the incident spectrum into the silicon slab optical modes. We experimentally demonstrate 66.5% solar light absorption in free-standing 1 μm c-Si layers by hyperuniform nanostructuring for the spectral range of 400 to 1050 nm. The absorption equivalent photocurrent derived from our measurements is 26.3 mA/cm 2 , which is far above the highest found in literature for Si of similar thickness. Considering state-of-the-art Si PV technologies, we estimate that the enhanced light trapping can result in a cell efficiency above 15%. The light absorption can potentially be increased up to 33.8 mA/cm 2 by incorporating a back-reflector and improved antireflection, for which we estimate a photovoltaic efficiency above 21% for 1 μm thick Si cells.

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confidence: 99%

Over 65% Sunlight Absorption in a 1 μm Si Slab with Hyperuniform Texture

et al. 2022

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“…These nanostructures were found to be higher in light abortion and lower in reflectivity than the typical inverted pyramids [29]. Path Length Enhancement is a term used to describe this phenomenon [72]. It is more common for the micro-nanostructured front surface of the Si solar cell to result in longer light paths into the Si wafer.…”

Section: Nickel (Ni)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication of Black Silicon via Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching—A Review

et al. 2021

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The metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) technique is commonly employed for texturing the wafer surfaces when fabricating black silicon (BSi) solar cells and is considered to be a potential technique to improve the efficiency of traditional Si-based solar cells. This article aims to review the MACE technique along with its mechanism for Ag-, Cu- and Ni-assisted etching. Primarily, several essential aspects of the fabrication of BSi are discussed, including chemical reaction, etching direction, mass transfer, and the overall etching process of the MACE method. Thereafter, three metal catalysts (Ag, Cu, and Ni) are critically analyzed to identify their roles in producing cost-effective and sustainable BSi solar cells with higher quality and efficiency. The conducted study revealed that Ag-etched BSi wafers are more suitable for the growth of higher quality and efficiency Si solar cells compared to Cu- and Ni-etched BSi wafers. However, both Cu and Ni seem to be more cost-effective and more appropriate for the mass production of BSi solar cells than Ag-etched wafers. Meanwhile, the Ni-assisted chemical etching process takes a longer time than Cu but the Ni-etched BSi solar cells possess enhanced light absorption capacity and lower activity in terms of the dissolution and oxidation process than Cu-etched BSi solar cells.

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“…[41][42][43] In PV technologies, such as Si-based, [44,45] dye-sensitized, [46,47] and perovskite, [48,49] light management approaches ranging from microscale to several nano-optical concepts have been explored aiming to decrease optical losses, with several works reviewing the existent light management strategies in each technology. [50][51][52][53][54] Despite the efforts to implement light management in the aforementioned solar cells, in CIGS devices, these schemes have mostly consisted in the use of AR layers and replacement of the molybdenum (Mo) reflector. [11,55,56] Notwithstanding, the Mo rear contact replacement by a perfect reflective approach only allows for a twofold increase in the optical path length.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploiting the Optical Limits of Thin‐Film Solar Cells: A Review on Light Management Strategies in Cu(In,Ga)Se₂

Oliveira

Teixeira

Ramos

et al. 2022

Advanced Photonics Research

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Light management strategies are of utmost importance to allow Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) technology market expansion, as it would enable a conversion efficiency boost as well as thinner absorber layers, increasing sustainability and reducing production costs. However, fabrication and architecture constraints hamper the direct transfer of light management architectures from other photovoltaic technologies. The demand for light management in thin and ultrathin CIGS cells is analyzed by a critical description of the optical loss mechanisms in these devices. Three main pathways to tackle the optical losses are identified: front light management architectures that assist for an omnidirectional low reflection; rear architectures that enable an enhanced optical path length; and unconventional spectral conversion strategies for full spectral harvesting. An outlook over the challenges and developments of light management architectures is performed, establishing a research roadmap for future works in light management for CIGS technology. Following the extensive review, it is expected that combining antireflection, light trapping, and conversion mechanisms, a 27% CIGS solar cell can be achieved.

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Light trapping in thin silicon solar cells: A review on fundamentals and technologies

Cited by 93 publications

References 102 publications

Over 65% Sunlight Absorption in a 1 μm Si Slab with Hyperuniform Texture

Over 65% Sunlight Absorption in a 1 μm Si Slab with Hyperuniform Texture

Fabrication of Black Silicon via Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching—A Review

Exploiting the Optical Limits of Thin‐Film Solar Cells: A Review on Light Management Strategies in Cu(In,Ga)Se₂

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Light trapping in thin silicon solar cells: A review on fundamentals and technologies

Cited by 93 publications

References 102 publications

Over 65% Sunlight Absorption in a 1 μm Si Slab with Hyperuniform Texture

Over 65% Sunlight Absorption in a 1 μm Si Slab with Hyperuniform Texture

Fabrication of Black Silicon via Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching—A Review

Exploiting the Optical Limits of Thin‐Film Solar Cells: A Review on Light Management Strategies in Cu(In,Ga)Se2

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Exploiting the Optical Limits of Thin‐Film Solar Cells: A Review on Light Management Strategies in Cu(In,Ga)Se₂