Fabrication of honeycomb texture on poly-Si by laser interference and chemical etching

In this paper, we present a laser-interference method to fabricate honeycomb textures on poly-Si wafer for reflection reduction. When exposed to three interfering pulsed laser beams at 532 nm, the Si surface was periodically melted in accordance with the interference pattern. As a result, concave holes were generated on the surface because the melted material overflowed and condensed at the periphery. Subsequent acid etching revealed uniform and clean honeycomb textures. The texture depth could be controlled by varying the irradiation condition and a minimum reflectance of 10% was obtained. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that no irradiation-induced damage remained after etching. This approach can be a cost-effective alternative to lithographic processes for fabricating high-efficiency poly-Si solar cells.