‡2) B (2003) 167 -175

Abstract The processes of nucleation, growth and phase formation during electrodeposition from molten salts have been studied. Theoretical methods for the determination of nucleation and growth parameters, particularly exchange current densities at the melt/new phase cluster interface, are considered

Photovoltaic Response of Silicon Wafers Treated in the K2WO4-Na2WO4-WO3Melt

Texturing silicon wafers is one way to increase the performance of solar cells. This work is the first to report on the surface modification of Si wafers by processing in polytungstate melts. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, and photoelectrochemical measurements were used to elucidate the effect of texturing conditions in the Na2WO4 - K2WO4 (1:1) melt containing 35 or 50 mol% WO3 at 973 K in air. As a result of cathodic treatment in the melt containing 50 mol% WO3 at the potential of -0.92 V (vs Pt) for 15 s, upright pyramids were formed on the Si surface. In addition, inverted pyramids appeared at the OTB/Si contact points. The photocurrent density of these samples was several times higher than that for the initial Si wafer or the Si wafer etched in 5 M NaOH solution at 353 K for 20 min. Mechanisms for the formation of upright and inverted pyramids were proposed. Unusual eight-faceted pyramids were formed on the Si surface during cathodic treatment in the melt containing 35 mol% WO3 at -1.19 V for 15 s, but the photocurrent density of such samples was low. © 2021 The Electrochemical Society ("ECS"). Published on behalf of ECS by IOP Publishing Limited.This work is performed in the frame of the State Assignment number 075-03-2020-582/1 dated 18.02.2020 (the theme number 0836-2020-0037). This work has been (partly) done using facilities of the Shared Access Center "Composition of Compounds" (IHTE, UB RAS)

Theoretical modeling of electrochemical nucleation and growth of a single metal nanocluster on a nanoelectrode

Theory of the initial stages of electrochemical formation and growth of a single metal nanocluster on an indifferent nanoelectrode has been developed and analyzed. General theoretical time dependences of the current and nanocluster size have been presented for the case of diffusion controlled growth at potentio- A nd galvanostatic deposition, and cyclic voltammetry. © 2020 The Royal Society of Chemistry