Uniformly distributed self-assembled cone-shaped pillars for high efficiency solar cells

Abstract

A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device includes applying a diblock copolymer layer on a substrate and removing a first polymer material from the diblock copolymer layer to form a plurality of distributed pores. A pattern forming layer is deposited on a remaining surface of the diblock copolymer layer and in the pores in contact with the substrate. The diblock copolymer layer is lifted off and portions of the pattern forming layer are left in contact with the substrate. The substrate is etched using the pattern forming layer to protect portions of the substrate to form pillars in the substrate such that the pillars provide a radiation absorbing structure in the photovoltaic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A photovoltaic device, comprising:
 a substrate including a plurality of uniformly spaced and distributed nano-scale cone-shaped pillars, the cone-shaped pillars including black silicon.   
     
     
         2 . The photovoltaic device as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one electrode and a diode stack formed over the cone-shaped pillars. 
     
     
         3 . The photovoltaic device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the black silicon includes a fluorocarbon layer formed on a surface of the pillars.