Uses
The main application of this novel material is in the field of silicon thin film solar cells. As nc-Si has about the same bandgap as crystalline silicon, which is ~1.12 eV, it can be combined in thin layers with a-Si, creating a layered, multi-junction cell called a tandem cell. The top cell in a-Si absorbs the visible light and leaves the infrared part of the spectrum for the bottom cell in nanocrystalline Si.
A few companies are on the verge of commercializing silicon inks based on nanocrystalline silicon or on other silicon compounds. The semiconductor industry is also investigating the potential for nanocrystalline silicon, especially in the memory area.
Read more about this topic: Nanocrystalline Silicon