J. Phys. Chem. C 2008, 112, 20567–20573
20567
Using Self-Assembled Nanoparticles to Fabricate and Optimize Subwavelength Textured Structures in Solar Cells D. H. Wan, H. L. Chen,* S. Y. Chuang, C. C. Yu, and Y. C. Lee Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan UniVersity, Taipei, Taiwan ReceiVed: September 3, 2008; ReVised Manuscript ReceiVed: October 21, 2008
This paper reports the preparation of optimal textured structures on silicon surfaces through metal-assisted etching using gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) as catalysts in HF/H2O2 solution. The size and density of the NPs on the Si substrates were readily and rapidly determined using spectroscopic ellipsometry. We obtained uniformly textured Si layers containing cylindrical, conical, and bowl-shaped features after immersing the Au-deposited Si substrates in a mixture of HF and H2O2 under various etching conditions. A textured surface possessing close-packed pyramidal features with dimensions on the subwavelength scale exhibited the lowest reflectance (
