Open Access Version

Abstract:
The aim of this thesis is to identify a light trapping scheme for LPC silicon thin-film solar cells providing anti-reflective properties in the wavelength range of interest and to demonstrate its suitability for maintaining the silicon material quality. Since the silicon material quality is mainly determined by the crystallization step, the interplay between a substrate texture and the liquid phase crystallization process is analyzed. Nanoimprinted high-temperature stable front surface textures using hexagonal sinusoidal nanotextures are studied for application in state-of-the-art liquid phase crystallized silicon thin-film solar cells. The findings may be used to develop improved cell designs and to gain substantial insights on the liquid phase crystallization process on textured glass substrates.