Numerical Modeling of Nanostructure-Enhanced Solar Cells

This paper presents a computational study of nanostructure-enhanced solar cells. The computer model is developed based on the FDTD solution of the Maxwell equations describing the light propagation in thin film solar cells. With the model, a combination of Ag nanoparticle arrays at the top, Ag nanoparticle embedded into absorption layer and nanograting structures at the bottom of a thin film solar cell is studied. Each nanostructure is known to be capable of enhancing the solar light absorption to a certain degree, with the effect of metal particles coming primarily from the light scattering, the embedded particles from the reflection and that of back reflector from light trapping and reflection. The preliminary data from model simulation illustrate that with an appropriate combination and arrangement of these nanostructures, an increase in both short and long wavelength range can be achieved, thereby overcoming the shorting comings of each of the nanostructures when applied alone.