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Pulsed-laser hyperdoping and surface texturing for photovoltaics

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Abstract

We describe two ways in which pulsed lasers can be used to increase efficiency in photovoltaic devices. First, pulsed-laser hyperdoping can introduce dopants into a semiconductor at non-equilibrium concentrations, which creates an intermediate band in the bandgap of the material and modifies the absorption coefficient. Second, pulsed-laser irradiation can enhance geometric light trapping by increasing surface roughness. Hyperdoping in silicon enables absorption of photons to wavelengths of at least 2.5 μm, while texturing enhances the absorptance to near unity at all absorbing wavelengths. This article reviews both effects and comments on outstanding questions and challenges in applying each to increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic devices.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Michel Meunier and Michael Moebius for their assistance editing the manuscript. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation under contract CBET 0754227 and CHE-DMR-DMS 0934480. M.W. acknowledges financial support from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Meng-Ju Sher & Eric Mazur

  2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Mark T. Winkler

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  1. Meng-Ju Sher
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Correspondence to Meng-Ju Sher.

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Sher, MJ., Winkler, M.T. & Mazur, E. Pulsed-laser hyperdoping and surface texturing for photovoltaics. MRS Bulletin 36, 439–445 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2011.111

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