Two-dimensional plasmonic nanosurface for photovoltaics

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate a two-dimensional corrugated plasmonic nanosurface for efficient light trapping in a photovoltaic cell. Inspired by a well-known one-dimensional grating nanosurface, the present configuration is composed of two perpendicular gratings in the metal film that intersect to yield cross-shaped nanoelements. The surface corrugation is then covered by a silicon film. An additional degree of freedom can be introduced into the design by interrupting the grid in both directions. We show that this extra spacing between the array elements can be used to tune the absorption properties of the nanosurface. By including the effect of the solar spectrum, we demonstrate how this two-dimensional configuration is more efficient than its one-dimensional counterpart in terms of the actual short circuit photocurrent density. Finally, we propose possible extensions of this structure design, which can further enhance the solar cell performance.