ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the discussion of metallic nanoparticles applied in silicon (Si)-based solar cells. High-speed economic development in a modern society requires enormous energy consumption, in which electricity plays an important role. The tendency of the development in Si-based solar cells is to make the solar cell active layer as thin as possible while maintaining the light absorption in the solar cells. Recently, nanoparticle-based light management has attracted intensive attention in Si-based solar cells including metallic and dielectric nanoparticles. Metallic nanoparticles can support localised surface plasmons (LSPs), which result in great enhancement of the light-path length inside solar cells. Plasmonic incoupling of scattered light from an external layer of metallic nanoparticles into the absorbing layer has been discussed for different kinds of solar cells. In terms of the rear surface integrated nanoparticles in solar cells, the case is quite different as the light can only interact with the nanoparticles after traveling through the solar absorber first.
