Nanostructured Silicon-Based Photovoltaic Cells

Abstract

AbstractIn recent years significant research has been conducted on the materials, design, and device physics of nanostructured solar cells to obtain enhanced performance. While there are several promising results, practical deployment of these nanostructured cells is quite limited due to the need for (1) cost-effective, scalable fabrication techniques; (2) readily available raw materials; and (3) cells that can reliably perform as installed with minimal performance degradation. This book chapter focuses on nanostructured silicon solar cells. Silicon has been chosen in this chapter as it is an abundantly available raw material; silicon cells are well understood due to broad deployment of conventional monocrystalline, multi-crystalline, and amorphous silicon solar cells; and silicon cells also are by far the dominant one in terms of production scale in the photovoltaic industry.The book chapter is divided into five sections and mainly focuses on nanostructured silicon-based solar cells to evaluate their potential for enhanced performance beyond conventional, commercial silicon cells. Section 1 discusses the value of nanoscale patterning in wafer-based crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells (e.g., mono- and multi-crystalline silicon). In Sect. 2 of the book chapter nanostructured designs that relate mainly to the electronic performance of the solar device are reviewed. In this category, nanostructured thin-film solar cells for enhanced carrier collection or enhanced internal quantum efficiency (such as nano-wire array solar cells) are illustrated. In Sect. 3 nanostructured hybrid silicon-organic solar cells are illustrated. Section 4 discusses nanostructured thin-film amorphous silicon cells for photocurrent enhancement. These designs include those that enhance the optical path length for similar or less absorber thickness as that of conventional non-structured solar cells. Nanostructured solar cells that exhibit plasmonic effects for enhanced optical absorption at wavelength ranges of interest are also discussed in some detail. Finally, nanostructured silicon quantum dot-based materials for tandem solar cells as well as nanostructured inorganic third-generation solar cells that exhibit phenomena like multiple-exciton generation, which can potentially make use of silicon-based materials, are briefly discussed. A broad background literature review of the value of nanostructuring in the major kinds of solar cell materials including silicon, III–V materials, and organic solar cells is often referenced in this book chapter and briefly discussed for the various technologies presented.In general, an attempt is made to explain the physics of the various nanostructures as well as to illustrate the processes and process conditions that were employed for the solar cell fabrication with reference to various materials and concepts used for each technology. Industrial feasibility of some of these technologies and the related challenges are also briefly discussed.KeywordsSolar CellSurface Plasmon PolaritonSilicon Solar CellSolar Cell PerformanceBlack SiliconThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.