| dc.description.abstract | One-dimensional silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are promising building blocks for solar cells as they provide a controlled, vectorial transport route for photo-generated charge carriers in the device as well as providing anti-reflection for incoming light. Two major approaches are followed to synthesise SiNWs, namely the bottom-up approach during vapour-liquid-solid mechanism which employs chemical vapour deposition techniques. The other method is the top-down approach via metal assisted chemical etching (MaCE). MaCE provides a simple, inexpensive and repeatable process that yields radially and vertically aligned SiNWs in which
the structure is easily controlled by changing the etching time or chemical concentrations. During MaCE synthesis, a crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrate covered with metal nanoparticles (catalyst) is etched in a diluted hydrofluoric acid solution containing oxidising agents. Since the first report on SiNWs synthesised via MaCE, various publications have described the growth during the MaCE process. However lingering questions around the role of the catalyst during formation, dispersion and the eventual diameter of the nanowires remain. In addition, very little information pertaining to the changes in crystallinity and atomic bonding
properties of the nanowires post synthesis is known. As such, this study investigates the evolution of vertical SiNWs from deposited silver nanoparticles by means of in-depth electron microscopy analyses. Changes in crystallinity during synthesis of the nanowires are probed using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Deviations in the optical properties are quantified using optical reflectivity measurements by employing ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, whereas the bonding configurations of the nanowires are probed by Raman and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy. Diameters of 50 – 200 nm vertical SiNWs were obtained from scanning electron micrographs and nanowires lengths linearly increased with etching time duration from about 130 nm after 30 seconds to over 15 μm after 80 minutes. No diameter modulations along nanowires axial direction and rough nanowires apexes were observed for nanowires obtained at longer etching times. These SiNWs remained crystalline as their bulk single crystalline Si wafers but had a thin amorphous layer on the surface, findings confirmed by TEM, XRD and Raman analysis. Nanowires were found to be partially passivated with oxygen with small traces of hydrogen termination, confirmed with infrared absorption studies. Finally, low optical
reflection of less than 10% over visible range compared to an average of 30% for bulk Si were measured depicting an antireflective ability required in silicon solar cells. | en_US |
