Nanoparticle-based etching of silicon surfaces

Branz, Howard; Duda, Anna; Ginley, David S; Yost, Vernon; Meier, Daniel; Ward, James S

Title: Nanoparticle-based etching of silicon surfaces

Abstract

A method (300) of texturing silicon surfaces (116) such to reduce reflectivity of a silicon wafer (110) for use in solar cells. The method (300) includes filling (330, 340) a vessel (122) with a volume of an etching solution (124) so as to cover the silicon surface 116) of a wafer or substrate (112). The etching solution (124) is made up of a catalytic nanomaterial (140) and an oxidant-etchant solution (146). The catalytic nanomaterial (140) may include gold or silver nanoparticles or noble metal nanoparticles, each of which may be a colloidal solution. The oxidant-etchant solution (146) includes an etching agent (142), such as hydrofluoric acid, and an oxidizing agent (144), such as hydrogen peroxide. Etching (350) is performed for a period of time including agitating or stirring the etching solution (124). The etch time may be selected such that the etched silicon surface (116) has a reflectivity of less than about 15 percent such as 1 to 10 percent in a 350 to 1000 nanometer wavelength range.

Inventors:

Branz, Howard ^[1]; Duda, Anna ^[2]; Ginley, David S ^[3]; Yost, Vernon ^[4]; Meier, Daniel ^[5]; Ward, James S ^[6]

Boulder, CO
Denver, CO
Evergreen, CO
Littleton, CO
Atlanta, GA
Golden, CO

Issue Date:: 2011-12-13

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1034302

Patent Number(s):: 8075792

Application Number:: 12/053,372

Assignee:: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC (Golden, CO)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

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Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/50 - Photovoltaic [PV] energy

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/02363 - {of the semiconductor body itself, e.g. textured active layers}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10T - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
Y10T428/24917 - including metal layer

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DOE Contract Number:: AC36-99GO10337

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats


                    Branz, Howard, Duda, Anna, Ginley, David S, Yost, Vernon, Meier, Daniel, and Ward, James S. Nanoparticle-based etching of silicon surfaces.  United States: N. p., 2011. 
        Web.

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                    Branz, Howard, Duda, Anna, Ginley, David S, Yost, Vernon, Meier, Daniel, & Ward, James S. Nanoparticle-based etching of silicon surfaces.  United States.

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                    Branz, Howard, Duda, Anna, Ginley, David S, Yost, Vernon, Meier, Daniel, and Ward, James S. Tue .  
        "Nanoparticle-based etching of silicon surfaces".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1034302.

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@article{osti_1034302,

  title        = {Nanoparticle-based etching of silicon surfaces},

  author       = {Branz, Howard and Duda, Anna and Ginley, David S and Yost, Vernon and Meier, Daniel and Ward, James S},

  abstractNote = {A method (300) of texturing silicon surfaces (116) such to reduce reflectivity of a silicon wafer (110) for use in solar cells. The method (300) includes filling (330, 340) a vessel (122) with a volume of an etching solution (124) so as to cover the silicon surface 116) of a wafer or substrate (112). The etching solution (124) is made up of a catalytic nanomaterial (140) and an oxidant-etchant solution (146). The catalytic nanomaterial (140) may include gold or silver nanoparticles or noble metal nanoparticles, each of which may be a colloidal solution. The oxidant-etchant solution (146) includes an etching agent (142), such as hydrofluoric acid, and an oxidizing agent (144), such as hydrogen peroxide. Etching (350) is performed for a period of time including agitating or stirring the etching solution (124). The etch time may be selected such that the etched silicon surface (116) has a reflectivity of less than about 15 percent such as 1 to 10 percent in a 350 to 1000 nanometer wavelength range.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2011},

  month        = {12}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

Black multi-crystalline silicon solar cells
journal, March 2007

Koynov, Svetoslav; Brandt, Martin S.; Stutzmann, Martin
physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters, Vol. 1, Issue 2
https://doi.org/10.1002/pssr.200600064

Black nonreflecting silicon surfaces for solar cells
journal, May 2006

Koynov, Svetoslav; Brandt, Martin S.; Stutzmann, Martin
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 88, Issue 20
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2204573

Metal-assisted chemical etching of silicon in HF–H₂O₂
journal, July 2008

Chartier, C.; Bastide, S.; Lévy-Clément, C.
Electrochimica Acta, Vol. 53, Issue 17, p. 5509-5516
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2008.03.009

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