Photocurrent enhancement of ultrathin front-textured crystalline silicon solar cells by rear-located periodic silver nanoarrays

Ultrathin crystalline silicon solar cells are alternative technology roadmap to achieve more cost-effectiveness. However, when silicon thickness is reduced to less than 50 mu m, light absorption loss becomes severe, especially in the long wavelength range of 900-1200 nm. Therefore, it is significant to investigate the enhancements of photocurrent and efficiency by improving light absorption in the long wavelength range. In this work, we design and fabricate approximately 20 mu m-thick front-textured monocrystalline silicon solar cells. When periodic silver nanoarrays with precise geometries are applied to the rear of the solar cells, the measured external quantum efficiency clearly reveals an enhancement in the longer wavelengths. For our best sample, the short-circuit current density and the absolute efficiency present the enhancements of Delta J(sc) = 0.8 mA/cm(2) and Delta eta = 0.6%. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.