Light harvesting analysis of a nano‐cylinder structure on crystalline silicon using the Mie scattering model

In this study, nano spheres of different diameters (d = 200 nm, 300 nm, and 400 nm) were applied in nano-sphere lithography with dry etching to construct nano-cylinder structures on the surface of crystalline silicon wafers. The structure was then bombarded by a Kaufman-type directive ion source to shape and modify the surface topography as pillar-like or cone-like structures. Finally, an AR-coating layer was deposited on the surface of the nano-cylinder structure. When the size of the nano-cylinder structure approached the wavelength of light, Mie scattering analysis was utilized to describe the optical properties formed by the structures. The results showed that the haze parameters could reach 87.8% in the visible region and 91.1% in the infra-red region.

► Crystalline Si etched by nanosphere lithography can improve the light harvesting.
► Pillar-like is better than cone-like structure.
► Reflectance and haze parameters can be analyzed using Mie scattering model.
► Scattering efficiency increases as the cylinder width increases before 410 nm.
► The best average haze parameters are the 337-nm cylinder width nanostructure.