Table of Contents
Abstract:……………………………………………………………………………………………	1
1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………	1
2. Fundamentals: Physical Properties of Surface Plasmons…………………………………	3
3. Plasmon Thermal Effects………………………………………………………………………	5
4. Plasmonic Nanostructure Top-Down Fabrication Techniques……………………………	6
4.1. Lithographic Fabrication Techniques………………………………………………………	7
4.2. Nonlithographic Fabrication Techniques…………………………………………………	7
5. Plasmonic Nanostructures for Light Trapping……………………………………………	8
6. Mechanisms of Plasmonic Enhancement Effect……………………………………………	9
7. Nanoparticle Material, Size, and Shape Effects……………………………………………	10
7.1. Nanostructures at the Front Surface………………………………………………………	11
7.2. Plasmonic Back Reflectors…………………………………………………………………	12
7.3. Mismatch of the Front and Back Light Grating for Optimum Light Trapping………	14
8. Different Arrangements of Plasmonics Nanostructures in PV and Mechanisms………	16
9. Modeling the Performance of Plasmonic Solar Cells………………………………………	25
9.1. Device Designs Using Propagation of EM Waves………………………………………	26
9.2. Plasmonic Systems Based on Light Localization…………………………………………	26
9.3. Problems Related to Light Scattering………………………………………………………	27
10. Summary………………………………………………………………………………………	27