Photon absorption and photocurrent in solar cells below semiconductor bandgap due to electron photoemission from plasmonic nanoantennas

Abstract

We model the electron photoemission frommetal nanoparticles into a semiconductor in a Schottky diode with a conductive oxide electrode hosting the nanoparticles. We show that plasmonic effects in the nanoparticles lead to a substantial enhancement in photoemission compared with devices with continuous metal films. Optimally designed metal nanoparticles can provide an effectivemechanismfor the photon absorption in the infrared range below the semiconductor bandgap, resulting in the generation of a photocurrent in addition to the photocurrent from band-to-band absorption in a semiconductor. Such structure can form the dais of the development of plasmonic photoemission enhanced solar cells.