Nanoscale photon management in silicon solar cells

Light absorption in a photovoltaic device becomes critical as the thickness of an absorber layer is decreased to reduce cost. To enhance light absorption, photon management at the nanoscale has been studied because conventional methods, which are based on micrometer-sized structure, do not work well for thinner solar cells. This article reviews recent progress in photon management on the nanoscale for increasing light absorption in Si solar cells. The methodology for the absorption enhancement will be discussed, followed by advances in nanofabrication techniques that make the methodology a scalable and viable solution. The authors conclude with a discussion of the challenge of photon management schemes and future directions for light trapping in ultra-thin Si solar cells. (C) 2012 American Vacuum Society. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1116/1.4759260]