We report fabrication of size-controlled plasmonic nanoparticle arrays by which optically thin GaAs single junction solar
cells are decorated. Ordered Ag and Al nanoparticles with average diameters of 60-150 nm and interparticle spacings of
100-300 nm were templated onto the window layers of the GaAs solar cells using nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide
membrane templates. Near the surface plasmon resonances, 60nm-diameter Ag and Al nanoparticles serve as light-absorbers
so that non-radiative surface plasmon resonances reduce the photocurrent of the cells, which is improved by
increasing the nanoparticle size. Photocurrent enhancements are seen at wavelengths longer than surface plasmon
resonance which is maximized near the band gap edge of GaAs. These enhancements can be attributed to the increased
optical path in the photovoltaic layers resulting from multi-angle scattering by the nanoparticles, while high scattering
efficiency nanoparticles in turn increase the back scattering light out of the cell reducing the photocurrent.
InP/Si engineered substrates formed by wafer bonding and layer transfer have the potential to significantly reduce the
cost and weight of III-V compound semiconductor solar cells. InP/Si substrates were prepared by He implantation of InP
prior to bonding to a thermally oxidized Si substrate and annealing to exfoliate an InP thin film. Following thinning of
the transferred InP film to remove surface damage caused by the implantation and exfoliation process, InGaAs solar
cells lattice-matched to bulk InP were grown on these substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The
photovoltaic current-voltage characteristics of the InGaAs cells fabricated on the wafer-bonded InP/Si substrates were
comparable to those synthesized on commercially available epi-ready InP substrates, and had a ~20% higher short-circuit
current which we attribute to the high reflectivity of the InP/SiO2/Si bonding interface. This work provides an
initial demonstration of wafer-bonded InP/Si substrates as an alternative to bulk InP substrates for solar cell applications.
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