Thin film plasmonic solar cell

2:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, wherein the metal oxide layer is zinc oxide.

3:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, wherein the substrate layer is glass.

4:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, which comprises 2.0×107 to 2.0×109 silver nanoparticles per cm2 of the metal oxide layer.

5:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, wherein the silver nanoparticles have an average center to center distance of greater than 100 nm.

6:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, wherein the silver nanoparticles have a broad particle size distribution having a relative standard deviation of greater than 5%.

7:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, wherein the silver nanoparticles have a diameter in the range of about 25-100 nm and a near electric field strength of 20-30 V/m when excited, by light having a wavelength of 300-500 nm.

8:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, wherein the silver nanoparticles have a diameter in the range of about 100-300 nm and a near electric field strength of 5-10 V/m when, excited by light having a wavelength of 300-500 nm.

9-10. (canceled)

11:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, wherein the silver nanoparticles have a diameter in the range of about 100-300 nm and have an electric flux distribution of greater than 50 nm when excited by light having a wavelength of 300-500 nm or 1000-1200 nm.

12:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, further comprising nanoparticles comprising at least one additional plasmonic metal selected from the group consisting of gold, copper, aluminum, platinum, and palladium, and alloys thereof.

13:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, which is free of surfactants, ligands, capping reagents, binders and/or linkers.

14-17. (canceled)

19:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 18, wherein the thin film plasmonic solar cell has an absorption depth profile of up to 2 μm.

20:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 18, which has a solar cell efficiency (η) of at least 10%.

21:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, wherein greater than 35% of a surface area of the metal oxide layer is covered with the silver nanoparticles.

22:

• The thin film plasmonic solar cell of claim 1, wherein greater than 35% of a surface area of the metal oxide layer is covered with the silver nanoparticles, and wherein the metal oxide layer consists of zinc oxide.