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Circuit Model for Periodic Plasmonic Nanostructures Used as Light-rapping Back-structures in thin Film Solar Cells

Yarmoghaddam, Elahe | 2014

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  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 45897 (05)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Electrical Engineering
  6. Advisor(s): Mehrany, Khashayar; Khavasi, Amin
  7. Abstract:
  8. In recent years, thin-film photovoltaic cells with thicknesses of less than 1-2 µm have been developed with potentially lower production costs. Due to the small thickness of the absorbing semiconductor in these cells, the absorption is inevitably low at energies close to the electronic band gap of the semiconductor. This is particularly a problem for thin-film devices. Recently، periodic metallic nanostructures supporting surface plasmons have been introduced as alternative solutions to achieve light trapping in thin-film solar cells.Full numerical methods are usually used for the analysis of these periodic structures. The main drawback of these methods is that they are time-consuming and thus, are not appropriate for the design process. In this thesis، an accurate and fast method is proposed for the simulation of these periodic structures. This simulation method which is based on an equivalent circuit model، gives us physical insight about the structure.The conventional equivalent circuit models for periodic structures are very simple and have limited accuracy; Moreover، they are suitable for only microwave and terahertz regime، and because of the plasmonic behavior of the metals in the optical range، these models are not proper for modeling the solar cells. Furthermore، the validity of these models is limited to the sub-wavelength regime, and when there is only one mode inside the grating. Therefore، the aim of this thesis is to propose an analytical equivalent circuit model for periodic plasmonic nanostructures used as light-trapping back-structures in thin film solar cells. To achieve this, at first, we consider the effect of propagating non-specular diffracted order. Then we consider the plasmonic behavior of metals, and finally, we propose the equivalent circuit model with considering all modes inside the grating
  9. Keywords:
  10. Circuit Model ; Thin Film Solar Cell ; Periodic Plasmonic Nanostructures

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