Solar cells with a multi-functional plasmonic light concentration layer

Conversion of solar energy into electricity is considered one of the most promising solutions to the energy problem. Conventional III-V solar cells are designed such that their optical depth for absorption relates directly to the thickness of the absorbing material. This results in relatively thick solar cell structures consuming valuable semiconductor material and increasing the solar cell manufacturing time[1]. The ability to manipulate light using plasmonics could be extremely advantageous, enabling the optical depth for absorption becomes much greater than the thickness of the absorber, resulting in enhanced light absorption in thin-film solar cells[1, 2].