A novel silicon nanotips antireflection surface for the micro Sun sensor

Nano Lett. 2005 Dec;5(12):2438-42. doi: 10.1021/nl0517161.

Abstract

We have developed a new technique to fabricate an antireflection surface using silicon nanotips for use on a micro Sun sensor for Mars rovers. We have achieved randomly distributed nanotips of radii spanning from 20 to 100 nm and aspect ratio of approximately 200 using a two-step dry etching process. The 30 degrees specular reflectance at the target wavelength of 1 microm is only about 0.09%, nearly 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of bare silicon, and the hemispherical reflectance is approximately 8%. When the density and aspect ratio of these nanotips are changed, a change in reflectance is demonstrated. When surfaces are covered with these nanotips, the critical problem of ghost images that are caused by multiple internal reflections in a micro Sun sensor was solved.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Light
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation*
  • Nanotechnology / methods
  • Photography / instrumentation*
  • Photography / methods
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Solar System*
  • Transducers*

Substances

  • Silicon