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Applications of porous silicon thin films in solar cells and biosensors

  • Thin Films and Coatings
  • Overview
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Abstract

An overview of the applications of porous silicon (PS) thin films, as antireflection coatings (ARC) in silicon solar cells and transducers in biosensors, is presented. The reflectance spectra of PS films have been compared with other conventional ARCs (such as SiNx TiO2/MgF2 and ZnS), and optimal PS ARC with minimum reflectance has been obtained. The implementation of PS into an industrially compatible screen-printed (SP) solar cell by both the electrochemical etching (ECE) and chemical etching (CE) methods are reviewed. Porous silicon films, formed via ECE for short anodization times, on textured n+ emitter ofc-Si solar cell having SP front and back contacts, lead to improvements in the performance of solar cells and demonstrate their viability in industrial applications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 161 Wärren Street, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA

    Priyanka Singh & N. M. Ravindra

  2. National Physical Laboratory, Electronic Materials Division, Semiconductor building, Dr. K.S. Krlshnan Marg St, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Shailesh N. Sharma

Authors
  1. Priyanka Singh
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  2. Shailesh N. Sharma
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  3. N. M. Ravindra
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Correspondence to N. M. Ravindra.

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Singh, P., Sharma, S.N. & Ravindra, N.M. Applications of porous silicon thin films in solar cells and biosensors. JOM 62, 15–24 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-010-0099-2

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