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Applications of Ordered Si Nanowire Array to Solar Energy Harvesting and NEMS

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Silicon-based Nanomaterials

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Materials Science ((SSMATERIALS,volume 187))

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Abstract

Nanostructured silicon thin-film solar cells are promising, due to the strongly enhanced light trapping, high carrier collection efficiency, and potential low cost. Ordered nanostructure arrays, with large-area controllable spacing, orientation, and size, are critical for reliable light-trapping and high-efficiency solar cells. Available top–down lithography approaches to fabricate large-area ordered nanostructure arrays are challenging due to the requirement of both high lithography resolution and high throughput. Here, a novel ordered silicon nano-conical-frustum array structure, exhibiting an impressive absorbance of \({\sim }{99}\,\%\) (upper bound) over wavelengths 400–1100 nm by a thickness of only \(5\,\upmu \mathrm{{m}}\), is realized by our recently reported technique self-powered parallel electron lithography that has high throughput and high resolution. High-efficiency (up to 10.8 %) solar cells are demonstrated, using these ordered ultrathin silicon nano-conical-frustum arrays. Moreover, these ordered nano-structures have been successfully integrated into nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS), enabling high-efficiency and broad-band optical actuation for NEMS devices. The first-ever nanopillar membrane acoustic speaker, using nano-scale photonic crystal optical absorbers for thermo-mechanical excitation of speaker membrane, is demonstrated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sonic MEMS Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 08540, USA

    Yuerui Lu & Amit Lal

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  1. Yuerui Lu
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  2. Amit Lal
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Correspondence to Yuerui Lu .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. cState Key Laboratory of Electronic, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China

    Handong Li

  2. State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China

    Jiang Wu

  3. State Key Laboratory of Electronic, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, People's Republic of China

    Zhiming M. Wang

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Lu, Y., Lal, A. (2013). Applications of Ordered Si Nanowire Array to Solar Energy Harvesting and NEMS. In: Li, H., Wu, J., Wang, Z. (eds) Silicon-based Nanomaterials. Springer Series in Materials Science, vol 187. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8169-0_4

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