In this work, we present a solution that employs combined micro- and nano-scale surface textures to increase light
harvesting in the near infrared for crystalline silicon photovoltaics, and discuss the associated antireflection and
scattering mechanisms. The combined surface textures are achieved by uniformly depositing a layer of indium-tin-oxide
nanowhiskers on passivated, micro-grooved silicon solar cells using electron-beam evaporation. The nanowhiskers
facilitate optical transmission in the near-infrared, which is optically equivalent to a stack of two dielectric thin-films
with step- and graded- refractive index profiles. The ITO nanowhiskers provide broadband anti-reflective properties
(R<5%) in the wavelength range of 350-1100nm. In comparison with conventional Si solar cell, the combined surface
texture solar cell shows higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) in the range of 700-1100nm. Moreover, the ITO nano-whisker
coating Si solar cell shows a high total efficiency increase of 1.1% (from 16.08% to17.18%). Furthermore, the
nano-whiskers also provide strong forward scattering for ultraviolet and visible light, favorable in thin-wafer silicon
photovoltaics to increase the optical absorption path.
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