Noble metal nanoparticles in thin film solar cells

Numerical simulations performed in thin film solar cells with spherical silver nanoparticles show the opportunity to achieve significant increases in the light absorption efficiency versus the bare solar cell improving the light trapping in the thin silicon film submerging the metal nanoparticles. The different location of the nanoparticles relative to the surface of the silicon substrate may produce enhancements if compared to the bare thin film solar cell. Silver nanoparticles fully submerged immediately below the silicon surface, as in the present simulations, show a dramatic increase of the light absorption efficiency if compared to the previously computed 20% for the case of silver nanoparticles deposited on top of the silicon. The novelty of the present approach is the computation of the light absorption efficiency based on a new location of the metal nanoparticles, placed immediately below the silicon surface. In addition, the light absorption efficiency is computed subtracting the parasitic loss induced by the metal.