Abstract
The metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) technique is commonly employed for texturing the wafer surfaces when fabricating black silicon (BSi) solar cells and is considered to be a potential technique to improve the efficiency of traditional Si-based solar cells. This article aims to review the MACE technique along with its mechanism for Ag-, Cu- and Ni-assisted etching. Primarily, several essential aspects of the fabrication of BSi are discussed, including chemical reaction, etching direction, mass transfer, and the overall etching process of the MACE method. Thereafter, three metal catalysts (Ag, Cu, and Ni) are critically analyzed to identify their roles in producing cost-effective and sustainable BSi solar cells with higher quality and efficiency. The conducted study revealed that Ag-etched BSi wafers are more suitable for the growth of higher quality and efficiency Si solar cells compared to Cu- and Ni-etched BSi wafers. However, both Cu and Ni seem to be more cost-effective and more appropriate for the mass production of BSi solar cells than Ag-etched wafers. Meanwhile, the Ni-assisted chemical etching process takes a longer time than Cu but the Ni-etched BSi solar cells possess enhanced light absorption capacity and lower activity in terms of the dissolution and oxidation process than Cu-etched BSi solar cells.
Highlights
Improving the crystalline silicon (Si) solar cells in terms of efficiency and quality, reducing cost in their mass production line, and ensuring easy fabrication are imperative tasks while promoting solar cell applications in a sustainable environment
This review article aims to identify the role of each metal catalyst in producing high-quality and low-cost black silicon (BSi) solar cells for mass production
The key analysis of this paper focused on the metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) method that involves depositing three different types of metals (Ag, Cu, and Ni) in an aqueous solution with subsequent etching in HF:H2 O2 solution
Summary
Improving the crystalline silicon (Si) solar cells in terms of efficiency and quality, reducing cost in their mass production line, and ensuring easy fabrication are imperative tasks while promoting solar cell applications in a sustainable environment. 1990s, serendipitous discoveries in Mazur’s laboratory led to the development of a new type of modified Si textured surface called ‘Black Silicon’ (BSi) because of its very high light absorption properties. BSi refers to Si surfaces with micro- or nanostructures, which effectively reduce light reflection. BSi appears dark-colored (i.e., black) compared to the typical light-colored (i.e., silver or gray) planar Si substrates [1]. BSi has been used in various applications including micro-electric mechanical models [2], biochemical sensors [3], optoelectronic and photonic devices [4], and lithium-ion batteries [5]. BSi has been used as a supporting medium for chemical and Sustainability 2021, 13, 10766.
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