Scientists at Rice University have developed a simpler way to change plain silicon into valuable black silicon by using the top electrode as the catalyst. Gold electrodes serve as the catalyst in this new process which will benefit solar cell manufacture.
Black silicon reflects little light and allows more to reach the active elements of solar cells to be turned into electricity. The texture of black silicon allows the efficient collection of light from any angle, at any time of day. This new manufacturing technique should push black silicon closer to commercialization.
Rice lab of chemist Andrew Barron noted this work led by Rice postdoctoral researcher Yen-Tien Lu has two major attractions. “One, removing steps from the process is always good,” he said. “Two, this is the first time in which metallization is a catalyst for a reaction that occurs several millimeters away.”
Barron said the metal layer used as a top electrode is usually applied last in solar cell manufacturing. The new method known as contact-assisted chemical etching applies the set of thin gold lines that serve as the electrode earlier in the process, which also eliminates the need to remove used catalyst particles.
Gold electrodes also serve as catalysts in a process developed at Rice University to create black silicon for solar cells. Black silicon reflects little light and allows more to reach the active elements of solar cells to be turned into electricity. Courtesy of the Barron Group
An extremely thin layer of gold atop titanium, which bonds well with both gold and silicon, should be an effective electrode that also serves for catalysis. “The trick is to etch the valleys deep enough to eliminate the reflection of sunlight while not going so deep that you cause a short circuit in the cell,” he said.
He said the electrode’s ability to act as a catalyst suggests other electronic manufacturing processes may benefit from a bit of shuffling.
“Metal contacts are normally put down last,” Barron said. “It begs the question for a lot of processes of whether to put the contact down earlier and use it to do the chemistry for the rest of the process.”
This website uses cookies. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.OKRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
