Abstract
The effective electron minority-carrier diffusion length, Ln,eff, for 2.0 μm diameter Si wires that were synthesized by Cu-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid growth was measured by scanning photocurrent microscopy. In dark, ambient conditions, Ln,eff was limited by surface recombination to a value of 0.7 μm. However, a value of Ln,eff =10.5±1 μm was measured under broad-area illumination in low-level injection. The relatively long minority-carrier diffusion length observed under illumination is consistent with an increased surface passivation resulting from filling of the surface states of the Si wires by photogenerated carriers. These relatively large Ln,eff values have important implications for the design of high-efficiency, radial-junction photovoltaic cells from arrays of Si wires synthesized by metal-catalyzed growth processes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 163116 |
| Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
| Volume | 95 |
| Issue number | 16 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)
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10 μm minority-carrier diffusion lengths in Si wires synthesized by Cu-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid growth. / Putnam, Morgan C.; Turner-Evans, Daniel B.; Kelzenberg, Michael D.; Boettcher, Shannon W.; Lewis, Nathan S; Atwater, Harry A.
In: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 95, No. 16, 163116, 2009.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - 10 μm minority-carrier diffusion lengths in Si wires synthesized by Cu-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid growth
AU - Putnam, Morgan C.
AU - Turner-Evans, Daniel B.
AU - Kelzenberg, Michael D.
AU - Boettcher, Shannon W.
AU - Lewis, Nathan S
AU - Atwater, Harry A.
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - The effective electron minority-carrier diffusion length, Ln,eff, for 2.0 μm diameter Si wires that were synthesized by Cu-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid growth was measured by scanning photocurrent microscopy. In dark, ambient conditions, Ln,eff was limited by surface recombination to a value of 0.7 μm. However, a value of Ln,eff =10.5±1 μm was measured under broad-area illumination in low-level injection. The relatively long minority-carrier diffusion length observed under illumination is consistent with an increased surface passivation resulting from filling of the surface states of the Si wires by photogenerated carriers. These relatively large Ln,eff values have important implications for the design of high-efficiency, radial-junction photovoltaic cells from arrays of Si wires synthesized by metal-catalyzed growth processes.
AB - The effective electron minority-carrier diffusion length, Ln,eff, for 2.0 μm diameter Si wires that were synthesized by Cu-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid growth was measured by scanning photocurrent microscopy. In dark, ambient conditions, Ln,eff was limited by surface recombination to a value of 0.7 μm. However, a value of Ln,eff =10.5±1 μm was measured under broad-area illumination in low-level injection. The relatively long minority-carrier diffusion length observed under illumination is consistent with an increased surface passivation resulting from filling of the surface states of the Si wires by photogenerated carriers. These relatively large Ln,eff values have important implications for the design of high-efficiency, radial-junction photovoltaic cells from arrays of Si wires synthesized by metal-catalyzed growth processes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70350431281&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=70350431281&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1063/1.3247969
DO - 10.1063/1.3247969
M3 - Article
VL - 95
JO - Applied Physics Letters
JF - Applied Physics Letters
SN - 0003-6951
IS - 16
M1 - 163116
ER -