An ultra-black silicon absorber

• Published in: Laser & photonics reviews Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. L13 - L17
• Main Authors: Steglich, Martin, Lehr, Dennis, Ratzsch, Stephan, Käsebier, Thomas, Schrempel, Frank, Kley, Ernst-Bernhard, Tünnermann, Andreas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2014; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: atomic layer deposition; black silicon; ICP-RIE; light absorber; silicon nanostructures; spectroscopy
• ISSN: 1863-8880; 1863-8899
• DOI: 10.1002/lpor.201300142

An ultra‐black (A > 99%) broadband absorber concept on the basis of a needle‐like silicon nanostructure called Black Silicon is proposed. The absorber comprises Black Silicon established by inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP‐RIE) on a highly doped, degenerated silicon substrate. Improved absorbers also incorporate an additional oxide capping layer on the nanostructures and reach an absorptance of A > 99.5% in the range of 350 to 2000 nm and A ∼ 99.8% between 1000 and 1250 nm. Fabrication of the absorbers is consistent with CMOS standards and requires no lithography. (Picture: Kasper, Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena) An ultra‐black (A > 99%) broadband absorber concept on the basis of a needle‐like silicon nanostructure called Black Silicon is proposed. The absorber comprises Black Silicon established by inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP‐RIE) on a highly doped, degenerated silicon substrate. Improved absorbers also incorporate an additional oxide capping layer on the nanostructures and reach an absorptance of A > 99.5% in the range of 350 to 2000 nm and A ∼ 99.8% between 1000 and 1250 nm. Fabrication of the absorbers is consistent with CMOS standards and requires no lithography. (Picture: Kasper, Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena)