Improving metal reflectors by suppressing surface plasmon polaritons: <italic style="font-style: italic">a priori</italic> calculation of the internal reflectance of a solar cell

Zachary C Holman; Stefaan De Wolf; Christophe Ballif

doi:10.1038/lsa.2013.62

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Improving metal reflectors by suppressing surface plasmon polaritons: a priori calculation of the internal reflectance of a solar cell

Original Articles

- Improving metal reflectors by suppressing surface plasmon polaritons: a priori calculation of the internal reflectance of a solar cell
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 2, Issue 3-4, (2013)
- Affiliations：
  
  Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Microengineering (IMT), Photovoltaics and Thin-Film Electronics Laboratory, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Author bio：
  
  Professor Z Holman, Arizona State University, PO Box 875706, Tempe, AZ 85827-5706, USA E-mail: zachary.holman@asu.edu
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/lsa.2013.62
  CLC：
- Published：2013-12，
  
  Published Online：25 October 2013，
  
  Received：16 January 2013，
  
  Revised：22 May 2013，
  
  Accepted：06 July 2013
- Accepted：
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Holman, Z. C., De Wolf, S. & Ballif, C. Improving metal reflectors by suppressing surface plasmon polaritons: a priori calculation of the internal reflectance of a solar cell. Light: Science & Applications, 2, e106 (2013).
DOI：

Holman, Z. C., De Wolf, S. & Ballif, C. Improving metal reflectors by suppressing surface plasmon polaritons: a priori calculation of the internal reflectance of a solar cell. Light: Science & Applications, 2, e106 (2013). DOI： 10.1038/lsa.2013.62.

摘要

Abstract

Imperfect internal reflectance of near-bandgap light reduces the performance of all solar cells

and becomes increasingly detrimental as absorbers become thinner. We consider light incident on the silicon/dielectric/metal structure at the back of rear-

passivated crystalline silicon solar cells with surface textures that are large enough for geometric optics. By calculating the absorbance in the metal as a function of the angle of incidence

we discover three results that are important for understanding and improving rear reflectors in many types of solar cells. First

significant parasitic absorption occurs in the metal layer in two cases:

- and

-polarized propagating modes (near-normal angles of incidence) when the dielectric thickness is adjusted to cause destructive interference of the reflected beams

and

-polarized evanescent modes (angles of incidence above the semiconductor/dielectric critical angle) that excite surface plasmon polaritons at the metal surface. Second

the latter loss dominates; a well-designed rear dielectric passivation layer must suppress the penetration of evanescent waves to the metal. Third

when used as an input in a simple analytical model

the average rear internal reflectance calculated by assuming a Lambertian angular distribution of light accurately predicts the total reflectance and absorbance of a solar cell.

关键词

Keywords

light trappingphotovoltaicsplasmonsilicon; solar cell

references

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Improving metal reflectors by suppressing surface plasmon polaritons: a priori calculation of the internal reflectance of a solar cell

DOI：10.1038/lsa.2013.62

摘要

Abstract

关键词

Keywords

references