Semiconductor/dielectric half-coaxial nanowire arrays for large-area nanostructured photovoltaics

Abstract

We present a simple assembly strategy of single nanowires (NWs) to form half-coaxial nanowire arrays (NWAs) which can be easily realized in large size by standard pattering and deposition techniques. Through the finite-difference time-domain simulation, we show that the proposed half-coaxial NWAs effectively preserve the leaky modes resonances within single NWs and consequently achieve strong absorption enhancement under optimization of various structural factors. The best half-coaxial NWAs with 100 nm thick absorbing shell offer equivalent light absorption of more than 400 nm thick planar film. Benefiting from the >75% cut of the required thickness of the absorbing layer, the performances of the demonstrated half-coaxial NWAs based a-Si thin film solar cell also gain significant improvement. V

Diversity of anisotropy effects in the breakup of metallic FCC nanowires into ordered nanodroplet chains

“…Specifically, mechanical and electrical properties of gold nanowires have led to their exploitation for bioelectrical signal detection [1][2][3]. At the same time the possibility of tuning the band gap width in silicon nanowires makes them particularly suitable for optoelectronics applications [4][5]. Moreover, modern methods of nanowire synthesis [6-11] make it possible to tune the diameter-modulation periodicity and cross-sectional anisotropy of nanowires, which allows the fabrication of 1D-structures with different surface morphologies.…”

Voctransient in silicon heterojunction solar cells withµc-SiOx:H window layers

“…The obvious advantages of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells with hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin layers are increasing their efficiency close to the theoretical limit of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells [1,2]. There have been many optimization efforts made to improve the process and material properties of a-Si:H [3][4][5][6][7][8], transparent conductive oxide [9][10][11], and metallization [12,13], aiming at higher conversion efficiency and the successful transfer from the R&D stage to mass production. However, it becomes more and more difficult to increase the efficiency through a-Si:H materials due to their parasitic absorption restricted by a finite band gap and poor conductivity given by a low doping efficiency [14,15].…”

Superenhancers: Novel opportunities for nanowire optoelectronics

“…It is also possible to design efficient nanowire solar cells using properly patterned multi-material absorbers 21 22 23 . Above all, a more prominent way to enhance light absorption within the nanowire scheme relies on utilization of core-shell geometry where both absorber core and transparent shell region induces enhancements via their unique antireflection features 24 25 26 . Alternatively, plasmonics nanostructures are also tested in the design of efficient nanowire absorbers using their unique light accumulating performance 27 .…”