Optical and electrical properties of crystalline silicon wire arrays

Yu-Pan Pai; Brian Simonds; Jeremy Fields; Reuben Collins; P. Craig Taylor

doi:10.1117/12.892553

20 September 2011 Optical and electrical properties of crystalline silicon wire arrays

Yu-Pan Pai, Brian Simonds, Jeremy Fields, Reuben Collins, P. Craig Taylor

Proceedings Volume 8111, Next Generation (Nano) Photonic and Cell Technologies for Solar Energy Conversion II; 81110Z (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.892553
Event: SPIE Solar Energy + Technology, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Silicon wire arrays have been synthesized through a two-step metal-assisted electrode-less etching from an n-type silicon wafer with (100) orientation. Field Emission Scanning Electron microscope (FESEM), Ultra violet-Visible-Near infrared (UV-VIS-NIR) spectrophotometer and Resonance-coupled photoconductivity decay (RCPCD) have been used to characterize the morphological, optical, and electrical properties of Si wires at varying etching times. The reflectivity of the wire arrays decreased with increasing etching time because of light scattering from the micro-roughness of the Silicon wire surfaces. The effective carrier lifetime decreased with increasing wire length due to the increased surface area. We also created smoother wire surfaces by thermal oxidation followed by HF dipping. From FESEM cross sectional images and reflectivity results, this treatment removes the micro-roughness, but the effective lifetime is lower than the as-grown wire arrays. A photoluminescence peak observed only in the smoother wires suggests that the lower effective lifetime is due to the diffusion of residual Ag atoms from the wire surfaces into the bulk during the thermal oxidation process.

Citation Download Citation

Yu-Pan Pai, Brian Simonds, Jeremy Fields, Reuben Collins, and P. Craig Taylor "Optical and electrical properties of crystalline silicon wire arrays", Proc. SPIE 8111, Next Generation (Nano) Photonic and Cell Technologies for Solar Energy Conversion II, 81110Z (20 September 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.892553

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