Hierarchical Structuring of Black Silicon Wafers by Ion-Flow-Stimulated Roughening Transition: Fundamentals and Applications for Photovoltaics
Ion-flow-stimulated roughening transition is a phenomenon that may prove useful in the hierarchical structuring of nanostructures. In this work, we have investigated theoretically and experimentally the surface texturing of single-crystal and multi-crystalline silicon wafers irradiated using ion-bea...
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/19/2715 |
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| author | Vyacheslav N. Gorshkov Mykola O. Stretovych Valerii F. Semeniuk Mikhail P. Kruglenko Nadiia I. Semeniuk Victor I. Styopkin Alexander M. Gabovich Gernot K. Boiger |
| author_facet | Vyacheslav N. Gorshkov Mykola O. Stretovych Valerii F. Semeniuk Mikhail P. Kruglenko Nadiia I. Semeniuk Victor I. Styopkin Alexander M. Gabovich Gernot K. Boiger |
| author_sort | Vyacheslav N. Gorshkov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ion-flow-stimulated roughening transition is a phenomenon that may prove useful in the hierarchical structuring of nanostructures. In this work, we have investigated theoretically and experimentally the surface texturing of single-crystal and multi-crystalline silicon wafers irradiated using ion-beam flows. In contrast to previous studies, ions had relatively low energies, whereas flow densities were high enough to induce a quasi-liquid state in the upper silicon layers. The resulting surface modifications reduced the wafer light reflectance to values characteristic of black silicon, widely used in solar energetics. Features of nanostructures on different faces of silicon single crystals were studied numerically based on the mesoscopic Monte Carlo model. We established that the formation of nano-pyramids, ridges, and twisting dune-like structures is due to the stimulated roughening transition effect. The aforementioned variety of modified surface morphologies arises due to the fact that the effects of stimulated surface diffusion of atoms and re-deposition of free atoms on the wafer surface from the near-surface region are manifested to different degrees on different Si faces. It is these two factors that determine the selection of the allowable “trajectories” (evolution paths) of the thermodynamic system along which its Helmholtz free energy, <i>F</i>, decreases, concomitant with an increase in the surface area of the wafer and the corresponding changes in its internal energy,<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo> </mo><mi>U</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>d</mi><mi>U</mi><mo>></mo><mn>0</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), and entropy,<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo> </mo><mi>S</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>d</mi><mi>S</mi><mo>></mo><mn>0</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), so that <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>d</mi><mi>F</mi><mo>=</mo><mi>d</mi><mi>U</mi><mo> </mo><mo>–</mo><mo> </mo><mi>T</mi><mi>d</mi><mi>S</mi><mo><</mo><mn>0</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>T</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula> is the absolute temperature. The basic theoretical concepts developed were confirmed in experimental studies, the results of which showed that our method could produce, abundantly, black silicon wafers in an environmentally friendly manner compared to traditional chemical etching. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:38:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj.art-1a5fccb80b8b43fabc9931da8084a7002023-11-19T14:49:48ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912023-10-011319271510.3390/nano13192715Hierarchical Structuring of Black Silicon Wafers by Ion-Flow-Stimulated Roughening Transition: Fundamentals and Applications for PhotovoltaicsVyacheslav N. Gorshkov0Mykola O. Stretovych1Valerii F. Semeniuk2Mikhail P. Kruglenko3Nadiia I. Semeniuk4Victor I. Styopkin5Alexander M. Gabovich6Gernot K. Boiger7Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, National Technical University of Ukraine, Prospect Beresteiskyi, 37, 03056 Kyiv, UkraineIgor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, National Technical University of Ukraine, Prospect Beresteiskyi, 37, 03056 Kyiv, UkraineInstitute of Physics of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, Nauka Avenue, 46, 03028 Kyiv, UkraineInstitute of Physics of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, Nauka Avenue, 46, 03028 Kyiv, UkraineGreSem Innovation LLC, Vyzvolyteliv Avenue, 13, 02660 Kyiv, UkraineInstitute of Physics of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, Nauka Avenue, 46, 03028 Kyiv, UkraineInstitute of Physics of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, Nauka Avenue, 46, 03028 Kyiv, UkraineICP Institute of Computational Physics, ZHAW Zürich University of Applied Sciences, Wildbachstrasse 21, CH-8401 Winterthur, SwitzerlandIon-flow-stimulated roughening transition is a phenomenon that may prove useful in the hierarchical structuring of nanostructures. In this work, we have investigated theoretically and experimentally the surface texturing of single-crystal and multi-crystalline silicon wafers irradiated using ion-beam flows. In contrast to previous studies, ions had relatively low energies, whereas flow densities were high enough to induce a quasi-liquid state in the upper silicon layers. The resulting surface modifications reduced the wafer light reflectance to values characteristic of black silicon, widely used in solar energetics. Features of nanostructures on different faces of silicon single crystals were studied numerically based on the mesoscopic Monte Carlo model. We established that the formation of nano-pyramids, ridges, and twisting dune-like structures is due to the stimulated roughening transition effect. The aforementioned variety of modified surface morphologies arises due to the fact that the effects of stimulated surface diffusion of atoms and re-deposition of free atoms on the wafer surface from the near-surface region are manifested to different degrees on different Si faces. It is these two factors that determine the selection of the allowable “trajectories” (evolution paths) of the thermodynamic system along which its Helmholtz free energy, <i>F</i>, decreases, concomitant with an increase in the surface area of the wafer and the corresponding changes in its internal energy,<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo> </mo><mi>U</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>d</mi><mi>U</mi><mo>></mo><mn>0</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), and entropy,<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo> </mo><mi>S</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>d</mi><mi>S</mi><mo>></mo><mn>0</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), so that <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>d</mi><mi>F</mi><mo>=</mo><mi>d</mi><mi>U</mi><mo> </mo><mo>–</mo><mo> </mo><mi>T</mi><mi>d</mi><mi>S</mi><mo><</mo><mn>0</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>T</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula> is the absolute temperature. The basic theoretical concepts developed were confirmed in experimental studies, the results of which showed that our method could produce, abundantly, black silicon wafers in an environmentally friendly manner compared to traditional chemical etching.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/19/2715surface mass transferMonte Carlo methodhelicon dischargeion plasma flowsilicon wafer processingblack silicon |
| spellingShingle | Vyacheslav N. Gorshkov Mykola O. Stretovych Valerii F. Semeniuk Mikhail P. Kruglenko Nadiia I. Semeniuk Victor I. Styopkin Alexander M. Gabovich Gernot K. Boiger Hierarchical Structuring of Black Silicon Wafers by Ion-Flow-Stimulated Roughening Transition: Fundamentals and Applications for Photovoltaics Nanomaterials surface mass transfer Monte Carlo method helicon discharge ion plasma flow silicon wafer processing black silicon |
| title | Hierarchical Structuring of Black Silicon Wafers by Ion-Flow-Stimulated Roughening Transition: Fundamentals and Applications for Photovoltaics |
| title_full | Hierarchical Structuring of Black Silicon Wafers by Ion-Flow-Stimulated Roughening Transition: Fundamentals and Applications for Photovoltaics |
| title_fullStr | Hierarchical Structuring of Black Silicon Wafers by Ion-Flow-Stimulated Roughening Transition: Fundamentals and Applications for Photovoltaics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hierarchical Structuring of Black Silicon Wafers by Ion-Flow-Stimulated Roughening Transition: Fundamentals and Applications for Photovoltaics |
| title_short | Hierarchical Structuring of Black Silicon Wafers by Ion-Flow-Stimulated Roughening Transition: Fundamentals and Applications for Photovoltaics |
| title_sort | hierarchical structuring of black silicon wafers by ion flow stimulated roughening transition fundamentals and applications for photovoltaics |
| topic | surface mass transfer Monte Carlo method helicon discharge ion plasma flow silicon wafer processing black silicon |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/19/2715 |
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