Localized surface plasmon resonances caused by Ag nanoparticles on SiN for solar cell applications

This study examined experimentally and theoretically the coupling of metal (Ag) localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) and a dielectric (SiN) layer to enhance the photovoltaic properties of Si solar cells. The coupling of metal LSPRs and a SiN layer enhanced the intensity and optimized the projection of the internal electromagnetic field induced by the metal LSPRs. Therefore, the overall backscattering and dissipation of light absorption over 400 - 1400 nm were suppressed, resulting in an increase in the photovoltaic conversion efficiency. The mechanism of the coupling of Ag LSPRs and the SiN layer was examined by using a finite element numerical simulation and experiments.