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Fabrication of resonant patterns using thermal nano-imprint lithography for thin-film photovoltaic applications

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Abstract

A single-step, low-cost fabrication method to generate resonant nano-grating patterns on poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA; plexiglas) substrates using thermal nano-imprint lithography is reported. A guided-mode resonant structure is obtained by subsequent deposition of thin films of transparent conductive oxide and amorphous silicon on the imprinted area. Referenced to equivalent planar structures, around 25% and 45% integrated optical absorbance enhancement is observed over the 450-nm to 900-nm wavelength range in one- and two-dimensional patterned samples, respectively. The fabricated elements provided have 300-nm periods. Thermally imprinted thermoplastic substrates hold potential for low-cost fabrication of nano-patterned thin-film solar cells for efficient light management.

©2013 Optical Society of America

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Figures (17)

Fig. 1
Fig. 1 Schematic view of nano-patterned master fabrication steps on quartz substrate.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2 Measured transmittance of plexiglas.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3 Schematic summarizing thermal nano-imprinting.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4 Schematic view of grating geometry showing period (Λ), fill factor (F), and grating depth (dg).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5 AFM images of the quartz master 1D grating.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6 AFM images of the quartz master 2D grating.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7 AFM images of the imprinted plexiglas 1D grating.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8 AFM images of the imprinted plexiglas 2D grating.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9 SEM images of the (a) 1D quartz master grating, (b) 1D imprinted plexiglas grating, (c) ITO-coated 1D imprinted plexiglas grating, (d) 2D quartz master grating, (e) 2D imprinted plexiglas grating, and the (f) ITO-coated 2D imprinted plexiglas grating.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10 Schematic view of fabricated nano-patterned a-Si film; arrows indicate the directions of the incident, reflected, and transmitted beams.
Fig. 11
Fig. 11 AFM surface images of the ITO-coated patterned plexiglas substrate 1D grating.
Fig. 12
Fig. 12 AFM surface images of the ITO-coated patterned plexiglas substrate 2D grating.
Fig. 13
Fig. 13 AFM surface images of a-Si over an ITO layer. (a) 1D and (b) 2D grating.
Fig. 14
Fig. 14 Unpolarized absorbance spectra of planar reference and imprinted patterned samples at normal incidence of light.
Fig. 15
Fig. 15 TE (electric field vector normal to the plane of incidence) and TM (electric field vector parallel to the plane of incidence) polarized components of absorbance of the 1D grating patterned sample at normal incidence of light.
Fig. 16
Fig. 16 Total (a) electric field distribution for TE1 mode excitation at the 762-nm wavelength (b) magnetic field distribution for TM0 mode excitation at the 792-nm wavelength, observed in the absorbance spectra of the 1D grating sample shown in Fig. 15. The fill factors of plexiglas, ITO, and a-Si grating layers are 0.5, 0.66, and 0.66, respectively.
Fig. 17
Fig. 17 TE and TM polarized components of absorbance of the 2D grating patterned sample at normal incidence of light.

Tables (1)

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Table 1 Characteristic numbers of grating profiles obtained from AFM and SEM images

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