149
and light tapping property. Nanostructures can be served as an anti-reflection layer
or a substrate for solar cell devices. In case of anti-reflection film, plastic nanostructures have great superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties, which makes
them excellent candidates for the fabrication of water-repellent and stable solar cell
devices. Moreover, these nanostructures improve the optical absorption of device at
large light incident angles. These properties for nanostructured-based devices are
beneficial for industrial applications in a solar farm. For this application, nanocone
arrays have the best geometry for light absorption and device fabrication purposes
as compared to other nanostructured counterparts. For nanotextured substrates used
in photovoltaic devices, there are more advantages as compared to the planar device
such as enhanced carrier collection and improved mechanical properties. In fact,
nanostructures strongly fold all of the layers in the device and greatly annihilate the
concentrated stresses particularly at the interfacial regions of the device. This architecture design can enhance the robustness and mechanical flexibility of thin film
solar cells and applicable for most of solar cells.
References
1. Hu L, Chen G (2007) Analysis of optical absorption in silicon nanowire arrays for photovoltaic
applications. Nano Lett 7(11):3249–3252
2. Hua B, Wang B, Yu M, Leu PW, Fan Z (2013) Rational geometrical design of multi-diameter
nanopillars for efficient light harvesting. Nano Energy 2(5):951–957
3. Fan Z, Razavi H, Do J-W, Moriwaki A, Ergen O, Chueh YL, Leu PW, Ho JC, Takahashi T,
Reichertz LA, Neale S, Yu K, Wu M, Ager JW, Javey A (2009) Three-dimensional nanopillararray photovoltaics on low-cost and flexible substrates. Nat Mater 8:648–653
4. Zhu J, Hsu C, Yu Z, Fan S, Cui Y (2010) Nanodome solar cells with efficient light management
and self-cleaning. Nano Lett 10:1979–1984
5. Leung SF, Yu M, Lin Q, Kwon K, Ching KL, Gu L, Yu K, Fan Z (2012) Efficient photon capturing with ordered three-dimensional nanowell arrays. Nano Lett 12(7):3682–3689
6. Yu R et al (2011) Strong light absorption of self-organized 3-D nanospike arrays for photovoltaic applications. ACS Nano 5:9291–9298
7. Gao R et al (2013) A ZnO nanorod layer with a superior light-scattering effect for dyesensitized solar cells. RSC Adv 3:18537–18543
8. McIntosh KR, Johnson LP (2009) Recombination at textured silicon surfaces passivated with
silicon dioxide. J Appl Phys 105(12):124520
9. Czaban JA, Thompson DA, LaPierre RR (2008) GaAs core− shell nanowires for photovoltaic
applications. Nano Lett 9(1):148–154
10. Wallentin J, Anttu N, Asoli D, Huffman M, Åberg I, Magnusson MH, Siefer G, Fuss-Kailuweit
P, Dimroth F, Witzigmann B, Xu HQ (2013) InP nanowire array solar cells achieving 13.8%
efficiency by exceeding the ray optics limit. Science 339(6123):1057–1060
11. Huang H, Lu L, Wang J, Yang J, Leung SF, Wang Y, Chen D, Chen X, Shen G, Li D, Fan Z
(2013) Performance enhancement of thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells with low cost
nanodent plasmonic substrates. Energy Environ Sci 6(10):2965–2971
12. Wang KX, Yu Z, Liu V, Cui Y, Fan S (2012) Absorption enhancement in ultrathin crystalline silicon solar cells with antireflection and light-trapping nanocone gratings. Nano Lett
12(3):1616–1619
Efficient Light Harvesting in the Nanotextured Thin Film Solar Cells
and light tapping property. Nanostructures can be served as an anti-reflection layer
or a substrate for solar cell devices. In case of anti-reflection film, plastic nanostructures have great superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties, which makes
them excellent candidates for the fabrication of water-repellent and stable solar cell
devices. Moreover, these nanostructures improve the optical absorption of device at
large light incident angles. These properties for nanostructured-based devices are
beneficial for industrial applications in a solar farm. For this application, nanocone
arrays have the best geometry for light absorption and device fabrication purposes
as compared to other nanostructured counterparts. For nanotextured substrates used
in photovoltaic devices, there are more advantages as compared to the planar device
such as enhanced carrier collection and improved mechanical properties. In fact,
nanostructures strongly fold all of the layers in the device and greatly annihilate the
concentrated stresses particularly at the interfacial regions of the device. This architecture design can enhance the robustness and mechanical flexibility of thin film
solar cells and applicable for most of solar cells.
References
1. Hu L, Chen G (2007) Analysis of optical absorption in silicon nanowire arrays for photovoltaic
applications. Nano Lett 7(11):3249–3252
2. Hua B, Wang B, Yu M, Leu PW, Fan Z (2013) Rational geometrical design of multi-diameter
nanopillars for efficient light harvesting. Nano Energy 2(5):951–957
3. Fan Z, Razavi H, Do J-W, Moriwaki A, Ergen O, Chueh YL, Leu PW, Ho JC, Takahashi T,
Reichertz LA, Neale S, Yu K, Wu M, Ager JW, Javey A (2009) Three-dimensional nanopillararray photovoltaics on low-cost and flexible substrates. Nat Mater 8:648–653
4. Zhu J, Hsu C, Yu Z, Fan S, Cui Y (2010) Nanodome solar cells with efficient light management
and self-cleaning. Nano Lett 10:1979–1984
5. Leung SF, Yu M, Lin Q, Kwon K, Ching KL, Gu L, Yu K, Fan Z (2012) Efficient photon capturing with ordered three-dimensional nanowell arrays. Nano Lett 12(7):3682–3689
6. Yu R et al (2011) Strong light absorption of self-organized 3-D nanospike arrays for photovoltaic applications. ACS Nano 5:9291–9298
7. Gao R et al (2013) A ZnO nanorod layer with a superior light-scattering effect for dyesensitized solar cells. RSC Adv 3:18537–18543
8. McIntosh KR, Johnson LP (2009) Recombination at textured silicon surfaces passivated with
silicon dioxide. J Appl Phys 105(12):124520
9. Czaban JA, Thompson DA, LaPierre RR (2008) GaAs core− shell nanowires for photovoltaic
applications. Nano Lett 9(1):148–154
10. Wallentin J, Anttu N, Asoli D, Huffman M, Åberg I, Magnusson MH, Siefer G, Fuss-Kailuweit
P, Dimroth F, Witzigmann B, Xu HQ (2013) InP nanowire array solar cells achieving 13.8%
efficiency by exceeding the ray optics limit. Science 339(6123):1057–1060
11. Huang H, Lu L, Wang J, Yang J, Leung SF, Wang Y, Chen D, Chen X, Shen G, Li D, Fan Z
(2013) Performance enhancement of thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells with low cost
nanodent plasmonic substrates. Energy Environ Sci 6(10):2965–2971
12. Wang KX, Yu Z, Liu V, Cui Y, Fan S (2012) Absorption enhancement in ultrathin crystalline silicon solar cells with antireflection and light-trapping nanocone gratings. Nano Lett
12(3):1616–1619
Efficient Light Harvesting in the Nanotextured Thin Film Solar Cells