| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Electronic Materials and Photonics Division | Thursday Sessions |
| Session EM-ThP |
| Session: | Electronic Materials and Photonics Poster Session |
| Presenter: | Michael Small, University of Maine |
| Authors: | M.D. Small, University of Maine S.D. Collins, University of Maine R.L. Smith, University of Maine |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
This paper presents the fabrication and testing of a low cost, silicon nanowire photovoltaic device. The silicon nanowires are etched into the surface of a silicon wafer, via metal assisted chemical etching (MACE). This method of nanowire fabrication does not require photolithographic patterning, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and related costs. Vertically aligned nanowire p-n junctions have the potential to increase the optical bandwidth of a silicon photovoltaic device by allowing a greater amount of short wavelength light to reach the depletion region near the junction, resulting in improved conversion efficiency. When compared to a planar analog, the nanowire device produced an order of magnitude higher power in response to blue light (405 nm), attributed to increased collection at the exposed p-n junctions. Power conversion efficiency is eight times better than previously reported with a similar construct.