Abstract
To improve anti reflection and enhance the p-n junction of a Si-based solar cell, single-layer polystyrene spheres (PS) were self-assembled onto Si substrates by spin coating followed by plasma treatment for reducing the size of PS spheres. The reduced spheres were used as a template for synthesizing Si nanorods (SiNRs) through the metal-assisted chemical etching process. Using this method, diameter and height of the SiNRs can be accurately controlled. Reflectivity of the silicon nanorods was tested by the UV/vis spectrometer, it is found that longer nanorods are more effective for light trap and absorption, which is applicable as an anti-reflection layer in solar cells. However, the etching process for silicon nanorods will cause surface defects, which limits the carrier transfer. In order to study the effects of SiNR dimension on the performance of Si-based solar cell and measured the conversion efficiency of the solar cell using SiNR array as the antireflection layer, this work fabricated SiNR array with different length and diameter. Phosphorus doping was performed using the spin-on-doping (SOD) technique. According to the results, SiNR solar cell with 720 nm in diameter and 800 nm in length, subjected to phosphorus doping for two times reveals a high performance with an efficiency of 6.79%, which is 22% higher than that of planar one.