@article {13456,
	title = {Ag and Sn Nanoparticles to Enhance the Near-Infrared Absorbance of a-Si:H Thin Films},
	journal = {Plasmonics},
	volume = {9},
	year = {2014},
	pages = {1015{\textendash}1023},
	abstract = {<p>Silver (Ag) and tin (Sn) nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited by thermal evaporation onto heated glass substrates with a good control of size, shape and surface coverage. This process has the advantage of allowing the fabrication of thin-film solar cells with incorporated NPs without vacuum break, since it does not require chemical processes or post-deposition annealing. The X-ray diffraction, TEM and SEM properties are correlated with optical measurements and amorphous silicon hydrogenated (a-Si:H) films deposited on top of both types of NPs show enhanced absorbance in the near-infrared. The results are interpreted with electromagnetic modelling performed with Mie theory. A broad emission in the near-infrared region is considerably increased after covering the Ag nanoparticles with an a-Si:H layer. Such effect may be of interest for possible down-conversion mechanisms in novel photovoltaic devices.</p>
},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-014-9709-0},
	author = {Gaspar, D and A. C. Pimentel and M. J. Mendes and T. Mateus and B. P. Falc{\~a}o and J. P. Leit{\~a}o and J. Soares and A. Ara{\'u}jo and A. Vicente and S. A. Filonovich and {\'A}guas, H. and R. Martins and Ferreira, I.}
}
