Optical absorption enhancement with low structural-parameter sensitivity in three-dimensional silicon nanocavity array for solar photovoltaics

Effective light trapping is essential for improving the efficiency and reducing the cost of thin-film silicon solar cells. Here, we numerically study the optical characteristics of periodic three-dimensional (3D) silicon nanocavity arrays. We found that the 3D silicon nanocavity array shows low sensitivity to geometric structural parameters for photon capture and achieves an outstanding efficiency superior to those of previously reported silicon nanostructures such as a nanowire and a nanohole with the same thickness. This excellence is attributed to a better antireflection capability and more resonant modes. The 3D silicon nanocavity array provides a new light-trapping strategy for thin-film photovoltaic devices. (C) 2016 The Japan Society of Applied Physics