We investigate a two-dimensional corrugated plasmonic nanosurface for efficient light trapping in a photovoltaic cell. The design was chosen to minimize light polarization effects and generate robust optical properties for unpolarized sources. It consists of two, perpendicular gratings in the silver film that intersect to yield cross-shaped nano-elements. A thin, silicon film then covers all of this surface structure. 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. We demonstrate how this two-dimensional configuration is more efficient than its one-dimensional counterpart in terms of the short circuit photocurrent density. We also briefly discuss possible extensions of this structure design, which can further enhance the solar cell performance.

2D plasmonic nanosurface for photovoltaics

245th National Meeting (2013)

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