Light trapping properties of evaporated poly-silicon films on AIT-textured glass substrates

This paper explores the optical properties of e-beam evaporated polycrystalline silicon films deposited on a variety of glass surface morphologies produced by the aluminium-induced texturing (AIT) process. We find that very small features laterally one micron or smaller most effectively promote light trapping in films 1-3 /spl mu/m thick. Light trapping, assessed from reflectance and transmittance measurements, is almost random when the HF concentration required in an etch solution of the AIT process is minimised.