Performance-Enhanced Textured Silicon Solar Cells Based on Plasmonic Light Scattering Using Silver and Indium...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Textured crystalline-silicon (c-Si) solar cells are a key technology in renewable energy.
• Plasmonic effects from metallic nanoparticles can enhance light absorption and photovoltaic performance.
• Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and indium nanoparticles (In-NPs) are investigated for their plasmonic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally compare the performance enhancement of textured c-Si solar cells using Ag-NPs and In-NPs.
• To analyze the impact of these nanoparticles on light absorption and short-circuit current density (Jsc).
• To evaluate the overall conversion efficiency of solar cells modified with these plasmonic materials.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of textured c-Si solar cells integrated with Ag-NPs and In-NPs.
• Characterization of nanoparticle size and coverage using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Measurement of optical reflectance and external quantum efficiency (EQE) to assess plasmonic light scattering.

Main Results:

• In-NPs (average diameter 17.7 nm, coverage 30.5%) and Ag-NPs (average diameter 19.07 nm, coverage 35.1%) were characterized.
• In-NPs increased Jsc by 8.64% (30.32 to 32.94 mA/cm²), while Ag-NPs increased Jsc by 4.71% (30.32 to 31.75 mA/cm²).
• Cells with In-NPs achieved a higher conversion efficiency (14.85%) compared to those with Ag-NPs (14.32%).

Conclusions:

• Indium nanoparticles demonstrate superior performance enhancement in textured c-Si solar cells compared to silver nanoparticles.
• The enhanced efficiency is attributed to the broadband plasmonic light scattering capabilities of In-NPs.
• Plasmonic nanoparticles, particularly In-NPs, represent a promising strategy for improving solar cell efficiency.