Enhanced photocurrent and conversion efficiency in thin-film microcrystalline silicon solar cells using periodically textured back reflectors with hexagonal dimple arrays

Periodically textured back reflectors with hexagonal dimple arrays are applied to thin-film microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) solar cells for enhancing their photon absorption and photovoltaic performance. In a systematic survey of 1 -μm-thick μc-Si:H cells, the best performance is obtained with a period of 1.5 μm and an aspect ratio of 0.20–0.25 with a high current density exceeding 26 mA/cm2 and a marked efficiency of 10.1%. These results demonstrate the high potential of periodic textures or surface gratings for improving the conversion efficiency of thin-film silicon solar cells.