Analysis of textured surfaces for photovoltaics

Reflectances of periodically textured Si solar cells were calculated using the T-matrix method, the linear feature dimensions being of the same order of magnitude as the wavelength in vacuum. A special wafer geometry was evaluated to isolate the effect of surface texturing. We observed that texturing affects solar cell absorption, but it does not necessarily reduce reflectance for all insolation conditions. Tailored combinations of pit-and hillock-texturing may yield optimal results, depending on the geographical locality where the solar cells are deployed.