Browse
Submit Data
Databases
API
Help

Dataset Information

0 Views

0 Connections

0 Citations

0 Reanalyses

0 Downloads

Omics score: 0

Maskless inverted pyramid texturization of silicon.

ABSTRACT: We discovered a technical solution of such outstanding importance that it can trigger new approaches in silicon wet etching processing and, in particular, photovoltaic cell manufacturing. The so called inverted pyramid arrays, outperforming conventional pyramid textures and black silicon because of their superior light-trapping and structure characteristics, can currently only be achieved using more complex techniques involving lithography, laser processing, etc. Importantly, our data demonstrate a feasibility of inverted pyramidal texturization of silicon by maskless Cu-nanoparticles assisted etching in Cu(NO3)2 / HF / H2O2 / H2O solutions and as such may have significant impacts on communities of fellow researchers and industrialists.

SUBMITTER: Wang Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4451685 | biostudies-other | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Json Xml

Similar Datasets

Fabrication of 20.19% Efficient Single-Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell with Inverted Pyramid Microstructure.

Project description:This paper reports inverted pyramid microstructure-based single-crystalline silicon (sc-Si) solar cell with a conversion efficiency up to 20.19% in standard size of 156.75?×?156.75 mm2. The inverted pyramid microstructures were fabricated jointly by metal-assisted chemical etching process (MACE) with ultra-low concentration of silver ions and optimized alkaline anisotropic texturing process. And the inverted pyramid sizes were controlled by changing the parameters in both MACE and alkaline anisotropic texturing. Regarding passivation efficiency, the textured sc-Si with normal reflectivity of 9.2% and inverted pyramid size of 1 ?m was used to fabricate solar cells. The best batch of solar cells showed a 0.19% higher of conversion efficiency and a 0.22 mA cm-2 improvement in short-circuit current density, and the excellent photoelectric property surpasses that of the same structure solar cell reported before. This technology shows great potential to be an alternative for large-scale production of high efficient sc-Si solar cells in the future.

| S-EPMC5882476 | biostudies-other

3C-SiC Growth on Inverted Silicon Pyramids Patterned Substrate.

Project description:This work reports on the properties of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) grown epitaxially on a patterned silicon substrate composed of squared inverted silicon pyramids (ISP). This compliant substrate prevents stacking faults, usually found at the SiC/Si interface, from reaching the surface. We investigated the effect of the size of the inverted pyramid on the epilayer quality. We noted that anti-phase boundaries (APBs) develop between adjacent faces of the pyramid and that the SiC/Si interfaces have the same polarity on both pyramid faces. The structure of the heterointerface was investigated. Moreover, due to the emergence of APB at the vertex of the pyramid, voids buried on the epilayer form. We demonstrated that careful control of the growth parameters allows modification of the height of the void and the density of APBs, improving SiC epitaxy quality.

| S-EPMC6829442 | biostudies-literature

Inverted Silicon Nanopencil Array Solar Cells with Enhanced Contact Structures.

Project description:Although three-dimensional nanostructured solar cells have attracted extensive research attention due to their superior broadband and omnidirectional light-harvesting properties, majority of them are still suffered from complicated fabrication processes as well as disappointed photovoltaic performances. Here, we employed our newly-developed, low-cost and simple wet anisotropic etching to fabricate hierarchical silicon nanostructured arrays with different solar cell contact design, followed by systematic investigations of their photovoltaic characteristics. Specifically, nano-arrays with the tapered tips (e.g. inverted nanopencils) are found to enable the more conformal top electrode deposition directly onto the nanostructures for better series and shunt conductance, but its insufficient film coverage at the basal plane would still restrict the charge carrier collection. In contrast, the low-platform contact design facilitates a substantial photovoltaic device performance enhancement of ~24%, as compared to the one of conventional top electrode design, due to the shortened current path and improved lateral conductance for the minimized carrier recombination and series resistance. This enhanced contact structure can not only maintain excellent photon-trapping behaviors of nanostructures, but also help to eliminate adverse impacts of these tapered nano-morphological features on the contact resistance, providing further insight into design consideration in optimizing the contact geometry for high-performance nanostructured photovoltaic devices.

| S-EPMC5037459 | biostudies-literature

Prediction of sub-pyramid texturing as the next step towards high efficiency silicon heterojunction solar cells.

Project description:The interfacial morphology of crystalline silicon/hydrogenated amorphous silicon (c-Si/a-Si:H) is a key success factor to approach the theoretical efficiency of Si-based solar cells, especially Si heterojunction technology. The unexpected crystalline silicon epitaxial growth and interfacial nanotwins formation remain a challenging issue for silicon heterojunction technology. Here, we design a hybrid interface by tuning pyramid apex-angle to improve c-Si/a-Si:H interfacial morphology in silicon solar cells. The pyramid apex-angle (slightly smaller than 70.53°) consists of hybrid (111)0.9/(011)0.1 c-Si planes, rather than pure (111) planes in conventional texture pyramid. Employing microsecond-long low-temperature (500 K) molecular dynamic simulations, the hybrid (111)/(011) plane prevents from both c-Si epitaxial growth and nanotwin formation. More importantly, given there is not any additional industrial preparation process, the hybrid c-Si plane could improve c-Si/a-Si:H interfacial morphology for a-Si passivated contacts technique, and wide-applied for all silicon-based solar cells as well.

| S-EPMC10275866 | biostudies-literature

Transferless Inverted Graphene/Silicon Heterostructures Prepared by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition of Amorphous Silicon on CVD Graphene.

Project description:The heterostructures of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) materials represent one of the focal points of current nanotechnology research and development. From an application perspective, the possibility of a direct integration of active 2D layers with exceptional optoelectronic and mechanical properties into the existing semiconductor manufacturing processes is extremely appealing. However, for this purpose, 2D materials should ideally be grown directly on 3D substrates to avoid the transferring step, which induces damage and contamination of the 2D layer. Alternatively, when such an approach is difficult-as is the case of graphene on noncatalytic substrates such as Si-inverted structures can be created, where the 3D material is deposited onto the 2D substrate. In the present work, we investigated the possibility of using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to deposit amorphous hydrogenated Si (a-Si:H) onto graphene resting on a catalytic copper foil. The resulting stacks created at different Si deposition temperatures were investigated by the combination of Raman spectroscopy (to quantify the damage and to estimate the change in resistivity of graphene), temperature-dependent dark conductivity, and constant photocurrent measurements (to monitor the changes in the electronic properties of a-Si:H). The results indicate that the optimum is 100 C deposition temperature, where the graphene still retains most of its properties and the a-Si:H layer presents high-quality, device-ready characteristics.

| S-EPMC7153506 | biostudies-literature

Strong modulation of plasmons in Graphene with the use of an Inverted pyramid array diffraction grating.

Project description:An optical device configuration allowing efficient electrical tuning of surface plasmon wavelength and absorption in a suspended/conformal graphene film is reported. An underlying 2-dimensional array of inverted rectangular pyramids greatly enhances optical coupling to the graphene film. In contrast to devices utilising 1D grating or Kretchman prism coupling configurations, both s and p polarization can excite plasmons due to symmetry of the grating structure. Additionally, the excited high frequency plasmon mode has a wavelength independent of incident photon angle allowing multidirectional coupling. By combining analytical methods with Rigorous Coupled-Wave Analysis, absorption of plasmons is mapped over near infrared spectral range as a function of chemical potential. Strong control over both plasmon wavelength and strength is provided by an ionic gel gate configuration. 0.04eV change in chemical potential increases plasmon energy by 0.05 eV shifting plasmon wavelength towards the visible, and providing enhancement in plasmon absorption. Most importantly, plasmon excitation can be dynamically switched off by lowering the chemical potential and moving from the intra-band to the inter-band transition region. Ability to electrically tune plasmon properties can be utilized in applications such as on-chip light modulation, photonic logic gates, optical interconnect and sensing applications.

| S-EPMC4899712 | biostudies-other

Observation of strongly enhanced photoluminescence from inverted cone-shaped silicon nanostructures. [corrected].

Project description:Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) attached to a wafer substrate are converted to inversely tapered silicon nanocones (SiNCs). After excitation with visible light, individual SiNCs show a 200-fold enhanced integral band-to-band luminescence as compared to a straight SiNW reference. Furthermore, the reverse taper is responsible for multifold emission peaks in addition to the relatively broad near-infrared (NIR) luminescence spectrum. A thorough numerical mode analysis reveals that unlike a SiNW the inverted SiNC sustains a multitude of leaky whispering gallery modes. The modes are unique to this geometry and they are characterized by a relatively high quality factor (Q ~ 1300) and a low mode volume (0.2 < (λ/n eff)(3) < 4). In addition they show a vertical out coupling of the optically excited NIR luminescence with a numerical aperture as low as 0.22. Estimated Purcell factors Fp ∝ Q/Vm of these modes can explain the enhanced luminescence in individual emission peaks as compared to the SiNW reference. Investigating the relation between the SiNC geometry and the mode formation leads to simple design rules that permit to control the number and wavelength of the hosted modes and therefore the luminescent emission peaks.

| S-EPMC4660596 | biostudies-literature