Periodically aligned Si nanopillar (PASiNP) arrays were
fabricated on Si substrate via a silver-catalyzed chemical
etching process using the diameter-reduced polystyrene spheres
as mask. The typical sub-wavelength structure of PASiNP arrays
had excellent antireflection property with a low reflection loss
of 2.84% for incident light within the wavelength range of
200–1,000 nm. The solar cell incorporated with the PASiNP arrays
exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ~9.24% with a
short circuit current density (JSC) of ~29.5 mA/cm2 without
using any extra surface passivation technique. The high PCE of
PASiNP array-based solar cell was attributed to the excellent
antireflection property of the special periodical Si
nanostructure. Keywords:Si nanopillar arrays; Antireflection;
Periodicity; Solar cell; Chemical etching Climate change, energy
crisis and increasing monetary cost arisen from the nonrenewable
fossil fuels have attracted extensive broad public attentions.
The demands for developing renewable c