Near-unity below-band-gap absorption by microstructured silicon

Abstract

We increased the absorptance of light by silicon to approximately 90% from the near ultraviolet (0.25 μm) to the near infrared (2.5 μm) by surface microstructuring using laser-chemical etching. The remarkable absorptance most likely comes from a high density of impurities and structural defects in the silicon lattice, enhanced by surface texturing. Microstructured avalanche photodiodes show significant enhancement of below-band-gap photocurrent generation at 1.06 and 1.31 μm, indicating promise for use in infrared photodetectors.

References

Page 1

	Year	Citations
Optical Processes in Semiconductors J. I. Pánkové, D. A. Kiewit Journal of The Electrochemical Society Optical MaterialsEngineeringSemiconductor MaterialsSemiconductorsLaser Optics	1972	4.6K
19.8% efficient “honeycomb” textured multicrystalline and 24.4% monocrystalline silicon solar cells Jianhua Zhao, Aihua Wang, Martin A. Green, Applied Physics Letters Optical MaterialsEngineeringEnergy EfficiencyPhotovoltaic DevicesOptoelectronic Devices	1998	948
Microstructuring of silicon with femtosecond laser pulses Tsing-Hua Her, Richard Finlay, Claudia Wu, Applied Physics Letters Optical MaterialsEngineeringFemtosecond Laser PulsesLaser-plasma InteractionLaser Physics	1998	795
High-resolution studies of sulfur- and selenium-related donor centers in silicon Erik Janzén, R. Stedman, G. Grossmann, Physical review. B, Condensed matter EngineeringChemistrySilicon On InsulatorElectronic Excited StateSpectroscopic Property	1984	252
Femtosecond laser-induced formation of spikes on silicon Tsing-Hua Her, Richard Finlay, Chengkun Wu, Applied Physics A PhotonicsFemtosecond Laser-induced FormationEngineeringPhysicsLaser-induced Breakdown	2000	239
Silicon microcolumn arrays grown by nanosecond pulsed-excimer laser irradiation A. J. Pedraza, Jason D. Fowlkes, D. H. Lowndes Applied Physics Letters EngineeringLaser ApplicationsLaser AblationMicro-optical ComponentHigh-power Lasers	1999	234
Highly sensitive photodetector using porous silicon Jiawei Zheng, K.L. Jiao, W. P. Shen, Applied Physics Letters Photonic SensorEngineeringOptoelectronic DevicesIntegrated CircuitsImage Sensor	1992	192
Textured silicon: A selective absorber for solar thermal conversion J. I. Gittleman, E. K. Sichel, H. W. Lehmann Applied Physics Letters Optical MaterialsEngineeringEnergy ConversionSilicon On InsulatorPhotovoltaics	1979	95
Determination of deep energy levels in Si by MOS techniques W.R. Fahrner, A. Goetzberger Applied Physics Letters Si–sio2 InterfaceEngineeringSilicon On InsulatorSemiconductor DeviceSemiconductors	1972	87
Textured thin-film Si solar selective absorbers using reactive ion etching H. G. Craighead, R. E. Howard, D. M. Tennant Applied Physics Letters EngineeringThin-film SiSilicon On InsulatorThermal RadiationPhotovoltaics	1980	50

Page 1