В черной-черной лаборатории изобрели черный-черный кремний

With its new structure, the “band gap” in this thin silicon layer—the difference in energy between the valence band and the conduction band—is smaller. That means less energy is required to knock electrons into the conduction band, which explains why infrared photons can do the job. Another fringe benefit: applying a small voltage to black silicon (engineers call this “bias”) creates conditions in which a single incoming photon can knock loose dozens of electrons. So, not only is the material responsive to wavelengths that silicon-based devices simply couldn’t detect in the past—it also produces a much stronger signal in response to a weak stimulus. Black silicon is between 100 and 500 times more sensitive to light than untreated silicon, the company says.

These properties mean that SiOnyx is in a position to pioneer new types of solar cells that could capture the sun’s energy across a broader spectrum, achieving greater efficiency than today’s photovoltaic cells.
“Harnessing nuclear fusion energy arriving from Sol—solar energy at 1366 Watts per square meter—is the most promising technology for meeting accelerating world needs for cheap and clean energy,” says Polaris’s Metcalfe. Black siliicon “promises to dramatically increase the photo-response (Amps per Watt) of silicon, and not just in the visible spectrum, but also in the infrared, where silicon currently misses half of Sol’s energy. Delivering on that promise is very exciting.”

But that’s the “long shot” application for the material, Metcalfe acknowledges. Closer in is the possibility of major sensitivity improvements in imaging applications such as night vision, surveillance, digital cameras, and medical imaging. Saylor says that the company has negotiated strategic partnerships with two “industry leaders,” and though he won’t name names, he says one of them is active in the medical imaging area.