Plasmonic Solar Cells: Mechanism and Fabrication Techniques

In the last decade, Solar Cells (SCs) have evolved as a prominent renewable energy source and they utilize sunlight for generating electricity. It also makes a contribution to a more sustainable future. Despite the significant potential of solar cells to address increasing energy demands, their efficiency continues to be a challenge. Various avenues have been explored by researchers for enhancing SC performance. Plasmonic solar cells (PSCs) which incorporates nano-particles/structures have shown significant attention due to their potential to enhance light absorption due to plasmonic mechanisms, thus leading to enhanced power conversion efficiency. Fabrication techniques for PSCs involve processes that combine plasmonic materials like metal Nanoparticles (NPs) into SC structures for enhancing their light absorption and efficiency. This review explains the basics of PSCs, mechanisms improving the performance of PSCs, fabrication techniques of PSCs, challenges associated with the performance enhancement. This review concludes by discussing future possibilities for utilizing plasmonic solar cells.