Proximity effect assisted absorption enhancement in thin film with locally clustered nanoholes

We focus on the light-trapping characteristics of a thin film with locally clustered nanoholes (NHs), considering that the clustering effect is usually encountered in preparing the nanostructures. Our full-wave finite-element simulation indicates that an intentionally introduced clustering effect could be employed for improving the light-trapping performance of the nanostructured thin film. For a 100 nm thick amorphous silicon film, an optimal clustering design with NH diameter of 100 nm is able to double the integrated optical absorption over the solar spectrum, compared to the planar counterpart, as well as show much improved optical performance over that of the nonclustered setup. A further insight into the underlying physics explains the outstanding light-trapping capability in terms of the increased available modes, a stronger power coupling efficiency, a higher fraction of electric field concentrated in absorbable material, and a higher density of photon states.