Feasibility Study on Improving the Power Efficiency of Single Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell by Surface Texturing

Abstract

Silicon is well studied and abundantly available material for making CMOS
integrated circuit and high power electronic devices. When a normal and simple p-n
junction diode is shined with s spectrum of light in the vicinity of its junction, electron-hole
pairs are generated and they are accelerated by the built-in electric field to produce the
electromotive force between its terminals. This is known as photovoltaic effect. The
conventional efficiency of a p-n junction solar cell mainly limited by reflection of part of
shined light due to Fresnel reflection. However, its reflection itself may be utilized to
increase total absorption light by a p-n junction solar cell, if we texture the surface in such a
way that multiple reflection and hence improved absorption of light occur between the
facets on its surface. This paper focuses mainly on the studies made by researchers to
achieve a textured surface thereby increasing the possibilities of improved efficiency.