Femtosecond laser-assisted microstructuring of silicon for novel detector, sensing and display technologies

Summary form only given. Arrays of sharp, conical microstructures are obtained by texturing the surface of a silicon wafer using femtosecond laser-assisted chemical etching. The one step, maskless texturing process drastically changes the optical, material and electronic properties of the original silicon wafer. These properties make microstructured silicon viable for use in a wide range of commercial devices including solar cells, infrared photodetectors, chemical and biological sensors, and field emission devices. We describe the unique optical and electronic properties of microstructured silicon, discuss the formation process of the conical microstructures, and review the chemical and structural make-up of the surface that are responsible for the novel optoelectronic properties. We also deal with future directions for this technique including structuring of new materials, incorporation of new ambient gases, and better control over the position and density of the microstructures themselves.