A Parameterization of Light Trapping in Wafer-Based Solar Cells

A parameterization of light trapping in wafer-based solar cells is presented. The parameterization contains three free variables to represent the quality of the light trapping, all of which are independent of wavelength and cell thickness. The variables can be determined by fitting the equation to experimental and simulated absorption curves, or they can be determined analytically from theoretical light-trapping approximations. The parameterization can be used to predict a solar cell's absorption as a function of wavelength and cell thickness, from which the generation current can be calculated for any incident spectrum.