Oxide-free hybrid silicon nanowires: From fundamentals to applied nanotechnology

► We show how to fabricate SiNWs by Bottom-up and top-down technique. ► We show a simple approach to terminate the SiNW with organic molecules by employing a versatile two-step chlorination/alkylation process. ► The stability of the hybrid surface depends on the type of the molecules and coverage. ► Hybrid surface decrease the surface states density and tune the electrical properties of the SiNW. ► Hybrid Solar cells show an increased open-circuit voltage (Voc), an increased short-circuit current (Jsc) and a higher fill factor (FF).