High haze nature of textured Al:ZnO with Ag nanoparticles for light management in thin film solar cells

We report on fabrication of plasmonic interfaces consisting of Ag nanoparticles on flat and textured Al:ZnO for use at the front surface of thin film solar cells to enhance light trapping and photo-conversion efficiencies. We show that outstandingly high transmittance haze is achieved from single step HCl surface textured Al:ZnO and demonstrate Ag dewetting on textured and flat Al:ZnO surfaces upon annealing at moderate temperatures. Optical response of these plasmonic interfaces clearly display plasmonic resonances in the visible and near infrared, which is crucial for enhancement of photovoltaic conversion efficiency in thin film solar cells. (C) 2015 Optical Society of Americ