title: Versatile control of metal-assisted chemical etching for vertical silicon microwire arrays and their photovoltaic applications.
abstract: A systematic study was conducted into the use of metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) to fabricate vertical Si microwire arrays, with several models being studied for the efficient redox reaction of reactants with silicon through a metal catalyst by varying such parameters as the thickness and morphology of the metal film. By optimizing the MacEtch conditions, high-quality vertical Si microwires were successfully fabricated with lengths of up to 23.2 μm, which, when applied in a solar cell, achieved a conversion efficiency of up to 13.0%. These solar cells also exhibited an open-circuit voltage of 547.7 mV, a short-circuit current density of 33.2 mA/cm(2), and a fill factor of 71.3% by virtue of the enhanced light absorption and effective carrier collection provided by the Si microwires. The use of MacEtch to fabricate high-quality Si microwires therefore presents a unique opportunity to develop cost-effective and highly efficient solar cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea.
authors.forename: Han-Don
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Um
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea.
authors.forename: Namwoo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea.
authors.forename: Kangmin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea.
authors.forename: Inchan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoon Seo
authors.affiliation: Zena Technologies, 174 Haverhill Road, Topsfield, Massachusetts 01983, United States.
authors.forename: Young J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Zena Technologies, 174 Haverhill Road, Topsfield, Massachusetts 01983, United States.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duane
authors.affiliation: Zena Technologies, 174 Haverhill Road, Topsfield, Massachusetts 01983, United States.
authors.forename: Munib
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wober
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 689-798, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwanyong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seo