Improvement of output performance of solar cells using small nanoparticles

Abstract

The influence of small gold nanoparticles (NPs) on the output performance of solar cells has been investigated. The gold NPs with 9 nm average particle size are deposited on the surfaces of crystalline Si solar cells by magnetron sputtering. The effect of NP surface coverage on the electrical performance of solar cells is investigated firstly. Our results show that the electrical performance of solar cells can be tuned by the NP surface coverage. The optimal performances are obtained. When the surface coverage of NPs is 11.4 %, a 7 % increase of short-circuit current (Isc) and a 10 % increase of efficiency (η) are observed experimentally. Then, the all-day electric energy production of solar cells is investigated using angular (θ) distribution. These data indicate that the output performance of optimal cell can be improved by the small gold NPs. A 10 % increase of half peak height of maximum power (Pm) is observed.