Optimization of the Optical Properties of Black Silicon Solar Cell
Abstract
Black silicon (BSi) is an important texturized form of a semiconducting material used in photovoltaic solar cell technology. It is characterized by surface structuration of silicon with very low reflectance. In this paper, we study the optical properties of black silicon in the visible-near infrared wavelength range. Our work focuses on texturing the silicon surface using cryogenic etching in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) system. The surface structure of black silicon is formed by varying several parameters of the cryo-etching process, like wafer temperature, / ratio and bias voltage. The microstructure surfaces of BSi can be formed in various shapes (Pyramids, Columns, and Cones forms). The optical properties of the micro-structures were studied by spectrophotometer measurements. The results obtained show that columnar microstructures (CMS) exhibit different texturing shapes under different plasma etching process conditions. The CMS obtained without HF chemical treatment process have a reflectance value as high as about 14%. However, the surface reflectance is reduced to less than 2% in the VIS-NIR range by processing the samples in HF solution.
Downloads
References
N.A.M. Noor, and M.Z. Pakhuruddin, “Investigation on surface morphological and optical properties of black silicon fabricated by metal-assisted chemical etching with different etchant concentrations,” IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 268, 012064 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/268/1/012064
J.Y.-H. Chai, B.T. Wong, and S. Juodkazis, “Black-silicon assisted photovoltaic cells for better conversion efficiencies: A review on recent research and development efforts,” Materialstoday Energy, 18, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtener.2020.100539
K. Omar, and K.A. Salman, “Effects of Electrochemical Etching Time on the Performance of Porous Silicon Solar Cells on Crystalline n-Type (100) and (111),” Journal of Nano Research, 46, 45-56 (2017). https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.46.45
B. Gesemann, R. Wehrspohn, A. Hackner, and G. Müller, “Large-scale fabrication of ordered silicon nanotip arrays used for gas ionization in ion mobility spectrometers,” IEEE transactions on nanotechnology, 10(1), 50-52 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1109/TNANO.2010.2053046
A.A. Leonardi, M.J.L. Faro, and A. Irrera, “Silicon Nanowires Synthesis by Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching: A Review,” Nanomaterials, 11(2), 383 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020383
R. Akan, and U. Vogt, “Optimization of Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching for Deep Silicon Nanostructures,” Nanomaterials, 11(11), 2806 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11112806
S.R. Marthi, S. Sekhri, and N.M. Ravindra, “Optical properties of Black silicon: An analysis,” The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 67, 2154–2159 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-015-1527-0
X. Liu, B. Radfar, K. Chen, O.E. Setälä, T. Pasanen, M. Yli-Koski, H. Savin, Hele; and V. Vähänissi, “Perspectives on Black Silicon in Semiconductor Manufacturing: Experimental Comparison of Plasma Etching, MACE and Fs-Laser Etching,” IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing, 35(3), 504-510 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1109/TSM.2022.3190630
M. Arias, M. Briceño, A. Marzo, and A. Zárate, “Optical and electrical properties of silicon solar cells by wet chemical etching,” J. Chil. Chem. Soc., 64(1), (2019). http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0717-97072019000104268
P. Spinelli, M.A. Verschuuren, and A. Polman, “Broadband omnidirectional antireflection coating based on subwavelength surface mie resonators,” Nature Communications, 3, 692 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1691
C.-H. Hsu, J.-R. Wu, Y.-T. Lu, D.J. Flood, A.R. Barron, and L.-C. Chen, “Fabrication and characteristics of black silicon for solar cell applications: An overview,” Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, 25, 2-17 (2014). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/Jmssp.2014.02.005
R. Dussart, X. Mellhaoui, T. Tillocher, P. Lefaucheux, M. Volatier, C. Socquet-Clerc, P. Brault, et al., “Silicon columnar microstructures induced by an SF6/O2 plasma,” J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 38, 3395-3402 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/38/18/012
N Mekkakia-Maaza, R. Dussart, T. Tillocher, P. Lefaucheux, and P. Ranson, “A novel amorphization–etch alternating process for Si(1 0 0),” J. Micromech. Microeng. 23, 045023 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/23/4/045023
R. Dussart, M. Boufnichel, G. Marcos, P. Lefaucheux, A. Basillais, R. Benoit, T. Tillocher, et al., “Passivation mechanisms in cryogenic SF6/O2 etching process,” J. Micromech. Microeng. 14, 190–196 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/14/2/004
N. Nguyen, D. Abi-Saab, P. Basset, E. Richalot, M. Malak, N. Pavy, F. Flourens, et al., “Study of black silicon obtained by cryogenic plasma etching: approach to achieve the hot spot of a thermoelectric energy harvester,” Microsyst. Technol. 18, 1807 1814 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-012-1486-0
X. Yang, L. Bangwu, L. Jie, S. Zenan, and L. Chaobo, “A novel method to produce black silicon for solar cells,” Solar Energy, 85, 1574–1578 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2011.03.012
A. Miakonkikh, and V. Kuzmenko, “Formation of Black Silicon in a Process of Plasma etching with Passivation in a SF6/O2 Gas Mixture,” Nanomaterials, 14, 945 (2024). https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14110945
Copyright (c) 2026 M. Azouza, N. Mekkakia-Maaza, R. Dussart, T. Tillocher, P. Lefaucheux
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
