Surface-concentrated light and efficient carrier collection in microhole-patterned Si solar cells.

We investigate photovoltaic characteristics of crystalline Si solar cells with microhole-patterned surface. We compare patterned samples with different hole-widths and periods with a planar counterpart. From the finite-difference time-domain simulation, the patterned and planar samples are expected to have similar short circuit current density, J(sc) (difference: 1.2%). In contrast, the difference in the measured J(sc) is as large as 12.6%. The simulated optical field patterns reveal that the sample with more significantly concentrated light near the surface has higher quantum efficiency due to more efficient carrier collection. We report the highest efficiency of 15.6% among the hole-patterned solar cells. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America