The influence of impurities on the formation of nanocone structures on silicon surface irradiated by low energy helium plasma.

Forming nanocone structures on a silicon (Si) surface by low (<100 eV) energy helium plasma has been proposed in recent years as a simple method for fabricating black Si, which is an attractive material for photon absorption through the solar spectrum. In this study, different appearances of the Si surface were observed and analyzed with a scanning electron microscope. By introducing impurities of molybdenum and tungsten during plasma irradiation, it was revealed that the formation and the distribution of nanocones have a clear dependence on the amount of impurities on the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]