Functionalized aluminum-catalyzed silicon nanowire formation and radial junction photovoltaic devices

Vertical-oriented silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays with shaped smooth, nanodot-, or NW-structured surfaces offer many desirable advantages for advanced device applications. In this study, these functionalized SiNW formations were simplified by ex situ preparation of an aluminum (Al) catalyst along with optimization of the substrate temperature and time during vapor-liquid-solid chemical vapor deposition as a one-step process. SiNW-based photovoltaic cells were demonstrated with minimized NW surface defects through NW surface modification, opening a new path for the development of versatile Al-catalyzed SiNWs as a material of choice for on-chip integration in future nanotechnologies.