Inverted-opal photonic crystals for ultra light-trapping in solar cells

We investigated a three dimensional inverted opal having the potential to notably increase light-trapping in solar cells. The 3D photonic crystal top layer is an angle- and direction-selective filter, which decreases the acceptance cone of the solar cell. Numerical optimisation methods are used to verify the optical and electrical properties for a large angluar and energy spectrum for a system consisting of an inverted opal on top of a thin crystalline silicon solar cell. It is numerically shown that an inverted opal grown in the Τ - Xdirection might fulfill the requirement for such a filter. An estimate for the theoretically achievable efficiency for nonconcentrated light is presented that…