Results: A simple chemical technique can create a highly antireflective surface on silicon solar cells. The new method for making this so-called "black silicon" results in cells that convert 16.8 percent of the light that hits them into electricity, which is comparable to the efficiency of many commercial solar cells. It's a significant improvement over the previous record for solar cells made of black silicon, which was 13.9 percent.rnWhy it matters: The technique could make crystalline solar cells, the most common type, cheaper to make, because it is less expensive than producing the anti-reflective coatings now used to keep photons from bouncing off the cells and going to waste.
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