Empirical Comparison of Random and Periodic Surface Light-Trapping Structures for Ultrathin Silicon Photovoltaics

Pyramidal light‐trapping structures of a range of length scales—both periodic and random arrangements—are shown to yield similarly high absorption in thin‐film crystalline silicon photovoltaics. Through the combination of results from experiment and simulation, the trade‐off between absorption effectiveness and ease of fabrication of various pyramidal light‐trapping structures is investigated for application in thin‐film crystalline silicon solar cells.