Terahertz emission and photoluminescence of silicon nanowires electrolessly etched on the surface of silicon (100), (110), and (111) substrates for photovoltaic cell applications

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were etched on Si (100), (110), and (111) substrates. Slanted nanowires with respect to the surface normal were produced on the Si (110) and (111) substrates, and vertical nanowires were produced on the Si (100) substrate. Photoluminescence spectroscopy exhibited luminescence lines attributed to oxide defects from the nanowires. A comparison of the transient photocurrent as measured using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy revealed an increase in the THz emission from the SiNWs on Si (110) substrate compared to those grown on (100) substrate. Reorienting the dipole moment by applying an external 650 mT magnetic field suggested that the carrier transport was confined along the axis of the nanowires. Understanding the photocarrier and transport recombination properties in SiNWs may prove useful in the design considerations for future SiNW photovoltaic cell applications.