Optical properties of silicon nanowire arrays formed by metal-assisted chemical etching: evidences for light localization effect

We study the structure and optical properties of arrays of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with a mean diameter of approximately 100 nm and length of about 1–25 μm formed on crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrates by using metal-assisted chemical etching in hydrofluoric acid solutions. In the middle infrared spectral region, the reflectance and transmittance of the formed SiNW arrays can be described in the framework of an effective medium with the effective refractive index of about 1.3 (porosity, approximately 75%), while a strong light scattering for wavelength of 0.3 ÷ 1 μm results in a decrease of the total reflectance of 1%-5%, which cannot be described in the effective medium approximation. The Raman scattering intensity under excitation at approximately 1 μm increases strongly in the sample with SiNWs in comparison with that in c-Si substrate. This effect is related to an increase of the light-matter interaction time due to the strong scattering of the excitation light in SiNW array. The prepared SiNWs are discussed as a kind of ‘black silicon’, which can be formed in a large scale and can be used for photonic applications as well as in molecular sensing.     

Improvement of carrier diffusion length in silicon nanowire arrays using atomic layer deposition

To achieve a high-efficiency silicon nanowire (SiNW) solar cell, surface passivation technique is very important because a SiNW array has a large surface area. We successfully prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) high-quality aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) film for passivation on the whole surface of the SiNW arrays. The minority carrier lifetime of the Al₂O₃-depositedSiNW arrays with bulk silicon substrate was improved to 27 μs at the optimum annealing condition. To remove the effect of bulk silicon, the effective diffusion length of minority carriers in the SiNW array was estimated by simple equations and a device simulator. As a result, it was revealed that the effective diffusion length in the SiNW arrays increased from 3.25 to 13.5 μm by depositing Al₂O₃ and post-annealing at 400°C. This improvement of the diffusion length is very important for application to solar cells, and Al₂O₃ deposited by ALD is a promising passivation material for a structure with high aspect ratio such as SiNW arrays.     

Radial n-i-p structure SiNW-based microcrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells on flexible stainless steel

Radial n-i-p structure silicon nanowire (SiNW)-based microcrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells on stainless steel foil was fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The SiNW solar cell displays very low optical reflectance (approximately 15% on average) over a broad range of wavelengths (400 to 1,100 nm). The initial SiNW-based microcrystalline (μc-Si:H) thin-film solar cell has an open-circuit voltage of 0.37 V, short-circuit current density of 13.36 mA/cm², fill factor of 0.3, and conversion efficiency of 1.48%. After acid treatment, the performance of the modified SiNW-based μc-Si:H thin-film solar cell has been improved remarkably with an open-circuit voltage of 0.48 V, short-circuit current density of 13.42 mA/cm², fill factor of 0.35, and conversion efficiency of 2.25%. The external quantum efficiency measurements show that the external quantum efficiency response of SiNW solar cells is improved greatly in the wavelength range of 630 to 900 nm compared to the corresponding planar film solar cells.     

The influence of passivation and photovoltaic properties of α-Si:H coverage on silicon nanowire array solar cells

Silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays for radial p-n junction solar cells offer potential advantages of light trapping effects and quick charge collection. Nevertheless, lower open circuit voltages (V_oc) lead to lower energy conversion efficiencies. In such cases, the performance of the solar cells depends critically on the quality of the SiNW interfaces. In this study, SiNW core-shell solar cells have been fabricated by growing crystalline silicon (c-Si) nanowires via the metal-assisted chemical etching method and by depositing hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si:H) via the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The influence of deposition parameters on the coverage and, consequently, the passivation and photovoltaic properties of α-Si:H layers on SiNW solar cells have been analyzed.     

a-Si:H/SiNW shell/core for SiNW solar cell applications

Vertically aligned silicon nanowires have been synthesized by the chemical etching of silicon wafers. The influence of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer (shell) on top of a silicon nanowire (SiNW) solar cell has been investigated. The optical properties of a-Si:H/SiNWs and SiNWs are examined in terms of optical reflection and absorption properties. In the presence of the a-Si:H shell, 5.2% reflection ratio in the spectral range (250 to 1,000 nm) is achieved with a superior absorption property with an average over 87% of the incident light. In addition, the characteristics of the solar cell have been significantly improved, which exhibits higher open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and efficiency by more than 15%, 12%, and 37%, respectively, compared with planar SiNW solar cells. Based on the current–voltage measurements and morphology results, we show that the a-Si:H shell can passivate the defects generated by wet etching processes.     

Field emission from in situ-grown vertically aligned SnO2 nanowire arrays

Vertically aligned SnO₂ nanowire arrays have been in situ fabricated on a silicon substrate via thermal evaporation method in the presence of a Pt catalyst. The field emission properties of the SnO₂ nanowire arrays have been investigated. Low turn-on fields of 1.6 to 2.8 V/μm were obtained at anode-cathode separations of 100 to 200 μm. The current density fluctuation was lower than 5% during a 120-min stability test measured at a fixed applied electric field of 5 V/μm. The favorable field-emission performance indicates that the fabricated SnO₂ nanowire arrays are promising candidates as field emitters.     

Optical gain in 1.3-μm electrically driven dilute nitride VCSOAs

We report the observation of room-temperature optical gain at 1.3 μm in electrically driven dilute nitride vertical cavity semiconductor optical amplifiers. The gain is calculated with respect to injected power for samples with and without a confinement aperture. At lower injected powers, a gain of almost 10 dB is observed in both samples. At injection powers over 5 nW, the gain is observed to decrease. For nearly all investigated power levels, the sample with confinement aperture gives slightly higher gain.     

Realization of radial p-n junction silicon nanowire solar cell based on low-temperature and shallow phosphorus doping

A radial p-n junction solar cell based on vertically free-standing silicon nanowire (SiNW) array is realized using a novel low-temperature and shallow phosphorus doping technique. The SiNW arrays with excellent light trapping property were fabricated by metal-assisted chemical etching technique. The shallow phosphorus doping process was carried out in a hot wire chemical vapor disposition chamber with a low substrate temperature of 250°C and H₂-diluted PH₃ as the doping gas. Auger electron spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements prove the formation of a shallow p-n junction with P atom surface concentration of above 10²⁰ cm⁻³ and a junction depth of less than 10 nm. A short circuit current density of 37.13 mA/cm² is achieved for the radial p-n junction SiNW solar cell, which is enhanced by 7.75% compared with the axial p-n junction SiNW solar cell. The quantum efficiency spectra show that radial transport based on the shallow phosphorus doping of SiNW array improves the carrier collection property and then enhances the blue wavelength region response. The novel shallow doping technique provides great potential in the fabrication of high-efficiency SiNW solar cells.     

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition growth of InAs/GaSb type II superlattices with controllable AsxSb1-x interfaces

InAs/GaSb type II superlattices were grown on (100) GaSb substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). A plane of mixed As and Sb atoms connecting the InAs and GaSb layers was introduced to compensate the tensile strain created by the InAs layer in the SL. Characterizations of the samples by atomic force microscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction demonstrate flat surface morphology and good crystalline quality. The lattice mismatch of approximately 0.18% between the SL and GaSb substrate is small compared to the MOCVD-grown supperlattice samples reported to date in the literature. Considerable optical absorption in 2- to 8-μm infrared region has been realized.PACS: 78.67.Pt; 81.15.Gh; 63.22.Np; 81.05.Ea     

Field emission characteristics of zinc oxide nanowires synthesized by vapor-solid process

Vertically aligned ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays have been synthesized on silicon substrates by chemical vapor deposition. The growth of ZnO NWs may be dominated by vapor-solid nucleation mechanism. Morphological, structural, optical, and field emission characteristics can be modified by varying the growth time. For growth time that reaches 120 min, the length and diameter of ZnO NWs are 1.5 μm and 350 nm, respectively, and they also show preferential growth orientation along the c-axis. Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra exhibit a sharp UV emission and broad green emission, and the enhanced UV-to-green emission ratio with increasing growth time might originate from the reduced concentration of surface defects. Furthermore, strong alignment and uniform distribution of ZnO NWs can also effectively enhance the antireflection to reach the average reflectance of 5.7% in the visible region. The field emission measurement indicated that the growth time plays an important role in density- and morphology-controlled ZnO NWs, and thus, ZnO NWs are expected to be used in versatile optoelectronic devices.     

Optimization of Fibrin Scaffolds to Study Friction in Cultured Mesothelial Cells

To study the friction of cell monolayers avoiding damage due to stress concentration, cells can be cultured on fibrin gels, which have a structure and viscoelasticity similar to that of the extracellular matrix. In the present research, we studied different gel compositions and surface coatings in order to identify the best conditions to measure friction in vitro. We examined the adhesion and growth behavior of mesothelial cell line MET-5A on fibrin gels with different fibrinogen concentrations (15, 20, and 25 mg/mL) and with different adhesion coatings (5 μg/mL fibronectin, 10 μg/mL fibronectin, or 10 μg/mL fibronectin + 10 μg/mL collagen). We also investigated whether different substrates influenced the coefficient of friction and the ability of cells to stick to the gel during sliding. Finally, we studied the degradation rates of gels with and without cells. All substrates tested provided a suitable environment for the adherence and proliferation of mesothelial cells, and friction measurements did not cause significant cell damage or detachment. However, in gels with a lower fibrinogen concentration, cell viability was higher and cell detachment after friction measurement was lower. Fibrinolysis was negligible in all the substrates tested.     

Mechanical properties of nanocrystalline diamond/amorphous carbon composite films prepared by microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition

Nanocrystalline diamond films (NCD) have been deposited by microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition from CH₄/N₂ mixtures with varying methane content. They consist of diamond nanocrystallites with sizes of 3–5 nm embedded in an amorphous matrix with grain boundary widths of 1–1.5 nm. The CH₄ content in the gas phase has almost no influence on the microscopic structure but a strong effect on the macroscopic structure and morphology. The mechanical and tribological properties of these films have been investigated by nanoindentation, nano tribo tests, and nano scratch tests. The hardness of a 4-μm-thick film deposited with 17% methane was about 40 GPa, the indentation modulus 387 GPa, and the elastic recovery 75%. Ball-on-disk tests against an Al₂O₃ ball revealed, after initially higher values, a friction coefficient of ≤0.1. Tribo tests and scratch tests proved a strong adhesion and a protective effect on silicon substrates. Finally, the correlations between the macroscopic structure of the films and their mechanical and tribological properties are discussed.     

Lithography-free fabrication of silicon nanowire and nanohole arrays by metal-assisted chemical etching

We demonstrated a novel, simple, and low-cost method to fabricate silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays and silicon nanohole (SiNH) arrays based on thin silver (Ag) film dewetting process combined with metal-assisted chemical etching. Ag mesh with holes and semispherical Ag nanoparticles can be prepared by simple thermal annealing of Ag thin film on a silicon substrate. Both the diameter and the distribution of mesh holes as well as the nanoparticles can be manipulated by the film thickness and the annealing temperature. The silicon underneath Ag coverage was etched off with the catalysis of metal in an aqueous solution containing HF and an oxidant, which form silicon nanostructures (either SiNW or SiNH arrays). The morphologies of the corresponding etched SiNW and SiNH arrays matched well with that of Ag holes and nanoparticles. This novel method allows lithography-free fabrication of the SiNW and SiNH arrays with control of the size and distribution.     

Improved photovoltaic performance of silicon nanowire/organic hybrid solar cells by incorporating silver nanoparticles

Silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays show an excellent light-trapping characteristic and high mobility for carriers. Surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can be used to increase light scattering and absorption in solar cells. We fabricated a new kind of SiNW/organic hybrid solar cell by introducing AgNPs. Reflection spectra confirm the improved light scattering of AgNP-decorated SiNW arrays. A double-junction tandem structure was designed to manufacture our hybrid cells. Both short-circuit current and external quantum efficiency measurements show an enhancement in optical absorption of organic layer, especially at lower wavelengths.     

Ultradense and planarized antireflective vertical silicon nanowire array using a bottom-up technique

The production and characterization of ultradense, planarized, and organized silicon nanowire arrays with good crystalline and optical properties are reported. First, alumina templates are used to grow silicon nanowires whose height, diameter, and density are easily controlled by adjusting the structural parameters of the template. Then, post-processing using standard microelectronic techniques enables the production of high-density silicon nanowire matrices featuring a remarkably flat overall surface. Different geometries are then possible for various applications. Structural analysis using synchrotron X-ray diffraction reveals the good crystallinity of the nanowires and their long-range periodicity resulting from their high-density organization. Transmission electron microscopy also shows that the nanowires can grow on nonpreferential substrate, enabling the use of this technique with universal substrates. The good geometry control of the array also results in a strong optical absorption which is interesting for their use in nanowire-based optical sensors or similar devices.     

Gain studies of 1.3-μm dilute nitride HELLISH-VCSOA for optical communications

The hot electron light emitting and lasing in semiconductor heterostructure-vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (HELLISH-VCSOA) device is based on Ga_0.35In_0.65 N_0.02As_0.08/GaAs material for operation in the 1.3-μm window of the optical communications. The device has undoped distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). Therefore, problems such as those associated with refractive index contrast and current injection, which are common with doped DBRs in conventional VCSOAs, are avoided. The gain versus applied electric field curves are measured at different wavelengths using a tunable laser as the source signal. The highest gain is obtained for the 1.3-μm wavelength when an electric field in excess of 2 kV/cm is applied along the layers of the device.     

Lateral electrical transport,optical properties and photocurrent measurements in two-dimensional arrays of silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

In this study we investigate the electronic transport, the optical properties, and photocurrent in two-dimensional arrays of silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) embedded in silicon dioxide, grown on quartz and having sizes in the range between less than 2 and 20 nm. Electronic transport is determined by the collective effect of Coulomb blockade gaps in the Si NCs. Absorption spectra show the well-known upshift of the energy bandgap with decreasing NC size. Photocurrent follows the absorption spectra confirming that it is composed of photo-generated carriers within the Si NCs. In films containing Si NCs with sizes less than 2 nm, strong quantum confinement and exciton localization are observed, resulting in light emission and absence of photocurrent. Our results show that Si NCs are useful building blocks of photovoltaic devices for use as better absorbers than bulk Si in the visible and ultraviolet spectral range. However, when strong quantum confinement effects come into play, carrier transport is significantly reduced due to strong exciton localization and Coulomb blockade effects, thus leading to limited photocurrent.     

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering from Dye Molecules in Silicon Nanowire Structures Decorated by Gold Nanoparticles

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) prepared by metal-assisted chemical etching of crystalline silicon wafers followed by deposition of plasmonic gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) were explored as templates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) from probe molecules of Methylene blue and Rhodamine B. The filling factor by pores (porosity) of SiNW arrays was found to control the SERS efficiency, and the maximal enhancement was observed for the samples with porosity of 55%, which corresponded to dense arrays of SiNWs. The obtained results are discussed in terms of the electromagnetic enhancement of SERS related to the localized surface plasmon resonances in Au-NPs on SiNW’s surfaces accompanied with light scattering in the SiNW arrays. The observed SERS effect combined with the high stability of Au-NPs, scalability, and relatively simple preparation method are promising for the application of SiNW:Au-NP hybrid nanostructures as templates in molecular sensorics.     

Asymmetric hybrid plasmonic waveguides with centimeter-scale propagation length under subwavelength confinement for photonic components

An asymmetric hybrid plasmonic metal-wire waveguide is proposed by combining the advantages of symmetric and hybrid plasmonic modes. The idea of asymmetric structure eliminates the adverse effect of a substrate and enhances the optical performance of the waveguide. The guiding properties of the proposed waveguide are intensively investigated using the finite elements method. The results exhibit a quite long propagation length of 2.69 cm with subwavelength confinement. More importantly, an extremely large figure of merit of 139037 is achieved. Furthermore, the proposed waveguides can be used as directional couplers. They can achieve a coupling length of only 1.01 μm at S = 0.1 μm with negligible loss. A strong dependence of coupling length on the operating wavelength makes the proposed waveguide promising for realizing wavelength-selective components at telecommunication wavelengths.     

Coupled nanowire-based hybrid plasmonic nanocavities on thin substrates

We theoretically analyze nanowire-based hybrid plasmonic nanocavities on thin substrates at visible wavelengths. In the presence of thin suspended substrates, the hybrid plasmonic modes, formed by the coupling between a metal nanowire and a dielectric nanowire with optical gain, exhibit negligible substrate-mediated characteristics and overlap better with the gain region. Consequently, the confinement factor of the guided hybrid modes is enhanced by more than 42%. However, the presence of significant mirror loss remains the main challenge to lasing. By adding silver coatings with a sufficient thickness range on the two end facets, we show that the reflectivity is substantially enhanced to above 50%. For a coating thickness of 50 nm and cavity length of about 4 μm, the quality factor is above 100.