Heterojunction-Based Hybrid Silicon Nanowires Solar Cell

It is known that defect-free, i.e., oxide-free, Si nanowires (Si NWs) exhibit lower defect density emissions than unmodified Si NWs. This is successfully established by grafting organic molecules on the surface. Here we show that by using a two-step chlorination/alkylation process, we are able to graft organic molecules on Si NWs for solar cell applications. Afterward, we show the electronic properties of the molecular surface (such as work function and band bending). Finally, we correlate these properties to the solar cell performance.