Black silicon is poised to improve digital imaging, maybe solar panels

We're big fans of silicon, but it turns out the stuff has been slacking off, and all it needs is a little nudge from sulfur hexafluoride and a high-powered laser to start working harder. When it gets that nudge it becomes a new material called black silicon that's between 100 and 500 times more sensitive to light -- including, amazingly, infrared. Some of the folks who accidentally invented black silicon started a company called SiOnyx, and with $11 million in venture financing, they're trying to commercialize it -- first for night vision and later for digital cameras, medical imaging, and maybe even solar cells. The benefits are obvious, but like a lot of other future miracle technologies we've heard about, it's still just science fiction to consumers until a solid deal is struck to bring it to market.

[Via Slashdot]

[eggothewaffle @ Oct 14th 2008 7:21AM]

OBAMA 2008.

[Derek @ Oct 14th 2008 7:24AM]

McCAIN 2008.

[eggothewaffle @ Oct 14th 2008 7:26AM]

This article is about black silicon and change that I can perceive in...Not maverick silicon and the same old Washington pork barrel imaging.

[a ham sandwich @ Oct 14th 2008 9:47AM]

haha. i wonder who engadget readers support based on the rankings here. lol.

even if the comments are no better than "FIRST!!!!!!ONE!11"

[BloodyGerman @ Oct 14th 2008 7:27AM]

"100 to 500 times more sensitive to light"

i love these statements :)
so a 10% efficient solar cell will achieve 1000 to 5000% efficiency ;)

I guess this statement over the greatly improved efficiency makes only sense if silicon becomes 100 to 500 times more sensitive for a specific wavelength where silicon normally is very insensitive ...

[TheLostVikings @ Oct 14th 2008 7:33AM]

The linked article mentions how it makes silicon much more receptive to IR than normally, so thats probably where the numbers are quoted (out of context) from.

[Arran @ Oct 14th 2008 7:56AM]

A double in light sensitivity for a material doesn't result in a double in efficiency for solar cells, I think there may be more factors than that...

[Jamie M @ Oct 14th 2008 8:28AM]

No mate.

[kempcross @ Oct 14th 2008 10:23AM]

You should probably retake a math class.

[SebS @ Oct 14th 2008 7:40AM]

I've seen this movie before...black silicon all great in the beginning, 100 to 500 times more powerful, able to dance, goes all evil and then gets killed. I think I'll skip to the end on this one.

[John @ Oct 14th 2008 7:42AM]

Neat.

[gad get @ Oct 14th 2008 7:43AM]

I can't wait for the future!

[Aaron @ Oct 14th 2008 8:03AM]

"We're big fans of silicon"

Real > silicon

[MyFirstMoniker @ Oct 14th 2008 2:33PM]

Real > Silicon > Real flat

[BradS @ Oct 14th 2008 8:12AM]

What? No carbon nanotubes?

[Patrick @ Oct 14th 2008 8:31PM]

My PhD dissertation was on a similar type substance called porous silicon. We thought we were on to something as well. It has similar optical properties as direct band-gap semiconductors. The whole silicon community was in a tizzy. As it turns out, impossible to commercialize for this application.

It looks like this is something similar, quantum confinement of the charge carriers. The problem with that is that you have to some how get those charges out which defies the entire nature of the material. Maybe they figured this one out. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

[Tim @ Oct 14th 2008 1:08PM]

Debbie Downer

[Shinigami @ Oct 14th 2008 8:33AM]

Nobody invents into free/cheap and clean energy because it means re-distribution of wealth. And those who hold that wealth never invest into its re-distribution to others.

Conclusion: dream on people ;) with a simple wish to popularize new technology and $11 million you can change the world. If you want to. If the world doesn't change, its nothing else than "future technology 512". Maybe your grand-grand-grand kids will invent something better and benefit from it but not you.

[Horrible picture @ Oct 14th 2008 9:02AM]

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[Shinigami @ Oct 14th 2008 9:08AM]

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[Mike C @ Oct 14th 2008 9:16AM]

you must have an iphone.

[a ham sandwich @ Oct 14th 2008 9:48AM]

no i think he must not. seeing as you cant do that on one!

[Mike C @ Oct 14th 2008 11:02AM]

you'll have to forgive me, my sense of sarcasm doesn't translate well over the internet.

I'm assuming he's sitting on a computer at some point and just can't resist the urge to copy/paste.

[konshuss @ Oct 14th 2008 9:40AM]

can't we all just sil-i-con?

[Frankenstein Black @ Oct 14th 2008 11:27AM]

“There are such things as Oilmen crooks, be shook, be scared to duck, be scared to look. SiOnyx watch your back, watch your front, don’t eat lunch from a shady Stunt. That hole in the glass and slug that zipped pass, is there because black silicon fux’s with their cash!”

[Plothole @ Oct 14th 2008 5:31PM]

I imagine Nikon, Canon, and Sony all have mixed feelings about this technology. One of the biggest selling points for their full frame cameras was high ISO sensitivity.

[jared @ Oct 14th 2008 6:08PM]

um... this was discovered ten years ago. Why is engadget just reporting about it now?

[Ian @ Oct 14th 2008 8:50PM]

just freaking sucks that this stuff takes SOOOOOO long to get to market. still waiting for nano tubes.. still waiting for increased battery capacity.. still waiting.........