On the indentation-assisted phase engineered Si for solar applications

Mannepalli, Sowjanya; Sagade, Abhay A.; Kiran, M. S. R. N.

doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2020.03.037

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Si( hR 24) has a unique form among these three metastable silicon phases in that it contains five-membered rings in a rhombohedral unit cell, the presence of which may account for the special electronic abilities of the material including high carrier mobility and electrical activation at room temperature [ 43 , 44 ]. Taking advantage of the high carrier mobility and a ~50% lower reflectance, Mannepalli et al [ 11 ] made a silicon solar cell with an ordered dotted Si( hR 24) array of a few hundred micrometers on the top layer, which showed ~10-fold improvement in the photocurrent density ( Figure 2 c,d).…”

Section: Known Metastable Phases Of Siliconmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In terms of cost and commercialization, silicon is the material of choice for solar cells, although the efficiency of crystalline silicon cells is still too low compared to III–V solar cells and multijunction cells. Exotic silicon allotrope materials optimized for solar energy conversion have higher carrier mobility and stronger visible light absorption capacity due to the direct gap band and multiple exciton generation effect, so that they can take a place in the photovoltaic industry in the near future [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Review on Metastable Silicon Allotropes

Fan

Yang

2021

Materials

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Diamond cubic silicon is widely used for electronic applications, integrated circuits, and photovoltaics, due to its high abundance, nontoxicity, and outstanding physicochemical properties. However, it is a semiconductor with an indirect band gap, depriving its further development. Fortunately, other polymorphs of silicon have been discovered successfully, and new functional allotropes are continuing to emerge, some of which are even stable in ambient conditions and could form the basis for the next revolution in electronics, stored energy, and optoelectronics. Such structures can lead to some excellent features, including a wide range of direct or quasi-direct band gaps allowed efficient for photoelectric conversion (examples include Si-III and Si-IV), as well as a smaller volume expansion as lithium-battery anode material (such as Si24, Si46, and Si136). This review aims to give a detailed overview of these exciting new properties and routes for the synthesis of novel Si allotropes. Lastly, the key problems and the developmental trends are put forward at the end of this article.

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Section: Known Metastable Phases Of Siliconmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review on Metastable Silicon Allotropes

Fan

Yang

2021

Materials

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“…It is indeed interesting to observe twinning in the diamond cubic crystal structure at 150-200 C. It is reported that beyond 300-400 C, deformation by slip can cause significant plasticity in Si. [261] With the knowledge obtained from the in situ electrical and high-temperature measurements, such as electrical and annealing behavior of the R8 phase of Si, [262] recently, Sowjanya et al [263] fabricated the large-area R8 phase in a dc-Si wafer using spherical nanoindentation and studied the optical properties, and utilized it for solar applications. The UV-vis optical spectrum showed a 50% lower reflectance for the R8 phase compared to the dc-Si.…”

Section: Phase Transformations In Simentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Nanoscale Plasticity by Quantitative In Situ Conductive Nanoindentation

2021

Self Cite

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Electronic materials such as semiconductors, piezo‐ and ferroelectrics, and metal oxides are primary constituents in sensing, actuation, nanoelectronics, memory, and energy systems. Although significant progress is evident in understanding the mechanical and electrical properties independently using conventional techniques, simultaneous and quantitative electromechanical characterization at the nanoscale using in situ techniques is scarce. It is essential because coupling/linking electrical signal to the nanoscale plasticity provides vital information regarding the real‐time electromechanical behavior of materials, which is crucial for developing miniaturized smarter technologies. With the advent of conductive nanoindentation, researchers have been able to get valuable insights into the nanoscale plasticity (otherwise not possible by conventional means) in a wide variety of bulk and small‐volume materials, quantify the electromechanical properties, understand the dielectric breakdown phenomenon and the nature of electrical contacts in thin films, etc., by continuously monitoring the real‐time electrical signal changes during any point on the indentation load–hold–unload cycle. This comprehensive Review covers probing the electromechanical behavior of materials using in situ conductive nanoindentation, data analysis methods, the validity of the models and limitations, and electronic conduction mechanisms at the nanocontacts, quantification of resistive components, applications, progress, and existing issues, and provides a futuristic outlook.

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