Conclusion

The very nature of the light-matter interaction taking place in photovoltaic cells involves nanoscale phenomena. As a result, nanostructures can be used to optimize the performance of photovoltaic cells, whether to enhance cell absorption, or to optimize the transport or collection of electrical charges generated in semiconductor materials.

While the most common methods used on an industrial scale are limited to surface texturing and the deposition of anti-reflective thin films on photovoltaic cells, many other processes exist and have progressed in the laboratory over the 2010s.

Considering the theoretical efficiency limit of a single-junction photovoltaic cell, these advances are significant. However, the climate context and the need to accelerate an energy transition based in part on photovoltaic electricity tend for the moment to favor...