SEM observation, photoconductivity investigation and I–V study of Si structures with patterned morphology for solar irradiance detection

Different types of silicon modified patterned substrates with and without p–n-junction were applied as a way for improving solar cells performance in order to prevent the light losses: (i) pyramid like (textured) surfaces (PrS); (ii) hemispherical plate like surface forms (PIS); (iii) dendritic structures (DS); (iv) porous morphology (LEPSi); (v) combinations of a textured surface with a porous one, etc. To realize them the anisotropical chemical and electrochemical etching in various etched mixtures and regimes, epitaxy and ion implantation were performed. Using scanning electron microscopy, spectral photoresponse measurements and current–voltage data, the morphological design, the variations in the photosensitivity, the wavelength peak position and the recombination parameters induced by the patterned processing and their influence for achieving the successful Si solar irradiance detection have been studied and analysed.