Synthesis of silicon nanowires using plasma chemical etching process for solar cell applications

Abstract

Recently, research on silicon nanowire solar cells has been developed rapidly and is one of the very young research field. The production of highly oriented long silicon nanowires is an challenging problem. Here, in this article we report the optimization of successful synthesis of highly oriented, long silicon nanowires on silicon substrates by plasma chemical etching process. The produced silicon structures were first examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM results clearly shows the highly oriented nanowires on the silicon substrate. The flowing carrier gas, temperature, pressure and voltage are main parameters responsible for the formation of the silicon nanowires. The successful synthesis of silicon nanowires shows bright perspectives for further research on silicon nanostructure properties.