Plasmonics for High Efficiency Solar Cells

Summary

Need

Reducing the cost of solar cells will increase their use by Australians to generate electricity.

Project innovation

The project aimed to commercialise a new way of increasing light absorption in solar cells using a technology called ‘plasmonics’.

Researchers used nanoparticles devices so small that 50 of them could fit on the width of a human hair to develop solar cells that generate more electrical current than traditional thin-film solar cells.

In a plasmonic solar cell nanoscale metal particles on the surface of the solar cell act like tiny antennas, collecting the solar radiation and directing it into the solar cell.

A diverse team of experts in plasmonics and solar cell technology were involved in the project and identified the most effective plasmonic structures, fabrication techniques and solar cell integration for a number of important solar cell technologies. This resulted in the production of a map of opportunities for the use of plasmonic solar cells.

The Australian researchers involved in thed project had already demonstrated that plasmonic solar cells can lead to a substantial increase in solar cell output.

Benefit

This technology offers a promising method of increasing efficiencies and reducing costs in thin solar cells, which makes up the most rapidly growing section of the solar cell market.