Optical absorption enhancement in nanopore textured-silicon thin film for photovoltaic application

Silicon thin film with a nanopore textured surface is systematically studied via simulation for photovoltaic application, where the optical characteristics are closely correlated with the nanopore structural parameters. It is found that the solar energy absorption could be optimized when the nanopore array structure dimensions are set as follows: periodicity of 700 nm, depth of 2000 nm, and pore diameter versus periodicity ratio of 87.5%. The result provides an additional guideline for the nanostructure surface texturing-process design for photovoltaic applications. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America