Silicon Nanocrystalline

Product name:Silicon Nanocrystalline

Product Description:Nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si), sometimes also known as microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si), is a form of porous silicon.[1] It is an allotropic form of silicon with paracrystalline structure—is similar to amorphous silicon (a-Si), in that it has an amorphous phase. nc-Si has many useful advantages over a-Si, one being that if grown properly it can have a higher electron mobility, due to the presence of the silicon crystallites. It also shows increased absorption in the red and infrared wavelengths, which make it an important material for use in a-Si solar cells.

Uses:
The main application of this novel material is in the field of silicon thin film solar cells. As nc-Si has about the same bandgap as crystalline silicon, which is ~1.12 eV, it can be combined in thin layers with a-Si, creating a layered, multi-junction cell called a tandem cell. The top cell in a-Si absorbs the visible light and leaves the infrared part of the spectrum for the bottom cell in nanocrystalline Si.
A few companies are on the verge of commercializing silicon inks based on nanocrystalline silicon or on other silicon compounds. The semiconductor industry is also investigating the potential for nanocrystalline silicon, especially in the memory area.