Non-noble Plasmon Enhancement (NNPE) for PV Energy Conversion

One of the major limitations encountered in thin film photovoltaics is light absorption. There are many strategies being formulated with the aim to improve light harvesting in this process. Plasmonic phenomena have been found constructive in enhancing the performance of perovskite-, quantum dot-, and dye-sensitized solar cells. The underlying reasons may involve a number of different mechanisms including hot electron transfer, resonant energy transfer, light trapping and scattering, near-field enhancement, etc. Most investigations on plasmon-related photovoltaics, to date, are using gold and silver because they exhibited the highest impact. However, for its practicality in this industry, it would be more rational to use non-noble metal for its plasmonic properties. In this chapter, therefore, we summarize and discuss the recent progress made in thin film photovoltaics associated with the plasmonic effects based on non-noble component. The advantages and disadvantages of incorporating plasmonic components in thin film photovoltaics are also reviewed.